The Vietnamese prime minister has decided to allocate VND135 billion ($6.43 million) from the state budget provision and 3,600 tons of rice from the national reserves for seven flood-hit provinces in the central region. Of these, Thanh Hoa province will get VND15 billion; Nghe An province will receive VND40 billion; Ha Tinh province VND10 billion and 1,000 tons of rice; Quang Binh province VND25 billion and 1,500 tons of rice; Quang Tri province VND20 billion and 1,000 tons of rice; Thua Thien-Hue province VND10 billion; and Quang Ngai VND15 billion and 100 tons of rice. The donations are expected to help the aforesaid localities deal with flood consequences, hunger relief for local residents as well as restore major infrastructure works like schools, clinics, transport and irrigation works. The deputy PM asked local authorities to properly use the relief aid and submit report to the Ministries of Finance and Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Early this month, the floods caused by heavy rains in the central region killed 27 people, submerged tens of thousands of houses and hectares of paddy field, causing a total loss of hundreds of billions of dongs. Worse still, floodwaters discharged by upstream hydropower dams continued to make the floods more severe, dampening the lives of millions of people in the flood-hit areas, experts said. (baodientu.chinhphu.vn Nov 24, An Ninh Thu Do – Capital Security Nov 25 p7, Ha Noi Moi – New Hanoi Nov 25 p3)
