Vietnam has lost an estimated VND30 trillion ($1.42 billion) to natural disasters this year, doubling the figure of 2012, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said in its report. During the year, 15 fierce storms hitting Vietnam left 313 people dead and missing and 1,150 injured. Over 6,400 houses collapsed and more than 117,000 hectares of paddy and 154,000 ha of subsidiary crops were destroyed. The government has granted VND795 billion and 20 tons of food as relief aid to disaster-hit provinces. Vietnam, which is one of the ten countries most vulnerable to natural disasters, has lost 1%-1.5% of its GDP to natural disasters each year over the last 20 years. (GSO Dec Edition)
