Tropical Storm Soulik, the 4rd to enter the East Sea, has caused widespread flooding and landslides across several localities in central Vietnam, leading to isolation in many areas.

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) has called on individuals and organisations at home and abroad to support central provinces hit by recent storms and flooding.

The Departments of Tourism of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and Khanh Hoa provinces has co-organised a workshop to develop “1 tour-3 destinations” to serve tourists from China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan.

Businesses and people have donated 15,000 life jackets worth over 20 billion VND to fishermen in need in central provinces and cities.

Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Vietnam Saud F. M. Al-Suwelim, on behalf of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, on April 23 presented the token of 150,000 USD in humanitarian aid to help Vietnam’s central provinces affected by recent storms and floods.

Central provinces must adjust their socio-economic development goals and strategies to minimise the adverse effects brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters in 2020, officials have said.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to allocate 89.11 billion VND (3.86 million USD) sourced from the central budget reserves for five central provinces hit hard by natural disasters in October to help address housing damage.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide seeds free of charge to four central provinces hard hit by flood this year, to help the localities restore agricultural production.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to use more than 3,590 tonnes of rice from the national reserves as relief aid for the central provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Ngai in a bid to support people victimised by recent natural disasters.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to grant 80 billion VND (3.46 million USD) in emergency aid from the State budget reserves this year to help people in the central region surmount consequences of recent floods.

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRSC) Central Committee on October 30 sent emergency aid of nearly 2.6 billion VND (112,000 USD) in cash and kind to flood-hit households in the central provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai and south-central Binh Dinh and Phu Yen provinces.

At least 16 people have died and 37 are missing after landslides hit two mountainous communes in Nam Tra My district, Quang Nam province in central Vietnam, on October 28. Of the victims, 45 are from Tra Leng commune, and the remainders from Tra Van commune, according to the provincial military command. At 9:30 am on Oct. 29, the bodies of 16 victims were found.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to provide 6,500 tonnes of rice from the national reserve for four central provinces to assist people affected by the recent flooding.

The new-age carrier Vietjet has introduced an unlimited free flight change policy to support passengers travel from and to central provinces which are devastated by storms and floods.

Fish catches are gradually recovering after the COVID-19 outbreak in central provinces, according to local fishermen.

14 central provinces with huge economic potential

Nearly 309 million tonnes of cargo were handled through Vietnam’s seaports in the first half of this year, up 13 percent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration.

Four central provinces will receive assistance in coping with natural disasters under the third phase of a project sponsored by the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which was launched during a workshop held on June 25.

Whirlwinds and hail on May 20 caused damage to property and crops in mountainous districts in the central provinces of Ha Tinh and Nghe An.

The Prime Minister has instructed authorities of the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue to carry out fishery projects using compensation from the Taiwanese-invested Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation.