Vietnamese Communities Hit By Relentless Typhoons

More than 50 people were killed and 14 missing after Typhoon Lekima and related floods and landslides cut power, closed roads, and destroyed homes as well as agricultural crops in a large swath of north-central Vietnam this week. The provinces of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh were still recovering from a typhoon that struck in early August when another hit October 3, leading to days of torrential rains.

A woman sits in a makeshift shelter on a dike in Zia Lac community in Ninh Binh province October 9, 2007. Photo by Alertnet/Reuters

The Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An provinces are the hardest hit. Reports estimate that 11,000 homes are destroyed, another 100,000 are submerged or damaged, and more than 185,000 acres of agriculture fields have been damaged.

"The devastation and flooding is horrible and extensive. Particularly hard hit are mountainous areas which are less prepared to handle these types of emergencies," said Greg Auberry, Catholic Relief Services' country representative in Vietnam.

CRS has active programming and staff in three of the four most-affected provinces. After the August typhoon in Quang Binh province, CRS had distributed more than 20 tons of maize seeds to 25 communal farms to help poor farmers recover. The seeds are not due to be planted until late October, and assessments are under way to ensure they can still be planted given the latest typhoon.

On October 10, CRS will lead an assessment team to Ha Tinh province. CRS is working closely with local governmental partners and a nongovernmental disaster-management working group to coordinate responses. Key members of this group include Oxfam, CARE, Save the Children and CRS, with representation from governmental institutions.