New Zealand pledges 1 million NZD in typhoon aid for Vietnam

The aid will be channelled through New Zealand’s non-governmental organisations who are disaster response partners and United Nations agencies in Vietnam, focusing on emergency response and livelihood restoration.

In a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on September 16, NZ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Winston Peters wrote: "The New Zealand Government conveys its deepest condolences to the victims of typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam. The thoughts of all New Zealanders are with the people affected and the emergency services staff at the forefront of the ongoing response… New Zealand looks forward to leveraging the various strands of our relationship to strengthen Vietnam’s recovery and future resilience to such catastrophic events".

New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Caroline Beresford stated that as a strategic partner of Vietnam, New Zealand stands in solidarity with the Vietnamese government and people during this extremely challenging time.

She said hẻ country hopes its support will swiftly reach those in need, contributing to emergency efforts and helping affected communities rebuild their lives.

Yagi was the most powerful typhoon in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) in the past three decades, and the strongest to hit mainland Vietnam in the last 70 years.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of 5:30 pm on September 15, the typhoon and following downpours, flooding, and landslides had left 292 dead and 38 missing,

It has caused an estimated economic damage of 40 trillion VND (1.6 billion USD) in Vietnam, estimated the Ministry of Planning and Investment.