ASEAN sends aid to typhoon victims in Việt Nam

KHÁNH HOÀ — An aid package from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for victims of deadly typhoon Damrey arrived in the south central province of Khánh Hoà Thursday morning.

An airplane from Malaysia carried the goods, including 600 sets of utensils, 3,000 sets of personal hygiene aids, 1,000 sets of house repair tools, an aluminium-clad ship and a 40 HP engine. 

The goods, worth more than US$174,000, were sent by the Jakarta-based ASEAN Co-ordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, the primary regional co-ordinating agency on disaster management and emergency response.

The action is based on the ASEAN spirit of “One ASEAN, one response”, agreed upon by all members last year. It calls for fast and collective response to disasters in and outside the region.

Trần Quang Hoài, director of the Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said it was the second time this year that ASEAN had supported disaster-hit regions in Việt Nam.

“The first time was to support victims of flash floods and landslides in northern mountainous area in August.”

The deadliest storm to hit Việt Nam this year reportedly killed 91 people and left 23 missing in the central and south-central regions.

It also destroyed thousands of houses and farm land.

The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control will work with four hardly-hit provinces, Khánh Hoà, Phú Yên, Quảng Ngãi and Bình Định, to allocate the goods.

On November 9, Russia sent an aircraft carrying 40 tonnes of goods to Việt Nam.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also instructed the Russian government to provide emergency aid worth $5 million.

Việt Nam has also received emergency aid from other countries, including Japan, China, the United States, South Korea, and New Zealand. — VNS