Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet paid a visit to flood-hit victims in the south central provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Phu Yen yesterday [Nov 3] and worked with local authorities about post-flood recovery. The president urged local authorities to take measures to help the victims stabilize lives and resume production soon, the state-run Vietnam News Agency said Nov 4. Floods left 12 dead and five missing from Phu Yen to Binh Thuan provinces, damaged 1,406 houses and inundated over 10,000 ones as well as submerging 17,891 hectares of paddies and other crops as of Nov 3. The government will allocate 2,000 tons of rice and VND50 billion in a bid to support Ninh Thuan to overcome the floods’ consequences, Triet said at a working session with the provincial leaders. Khanh Hoa authorities were asked to restore damaged major infrastructure and business activities, Triet said, adding that the province will receive 500 tons of rice and VND30 billion as relief aid. Floods are estimated to cause initial losses of more than VND900 billion to Ninh Thuan, nearly VND300 billion to Khanh Hoa and VND95 billion to Phu Yen. President Triet also pledged the government and ministries will provide food and essential goods for locals in flood-hit areas. Another floods are likely to hit the region during the next three days, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned. Natural disasters are estimated to have left 173 dead and missing, and 168 injured in Oct, causing estimated losses of more than VND8.5 trillion, the General Statistics Office (GSO) said. (Vietnam News Nov 4 p1&6, Quan Doi Nhan Dan – People’s Army Nov 4 p3, Nhan Dan – The People Nov 4 p4)
