Save the Children Aids Lao Cai Flood Victims
	Ca Mau Households, Schools Receive Drought Relief

Nguyen Viet Anh (23 years old, from Ninh Thuan hamlet, Nga Quan commune, Tran Yen district, Yen Bai province) was one of the first people to receive support from the program. He grew up with his mother and younger brother. Viet Anh's mother often works far away, and his younger brother is currently studying auto repair in Yen Bai city. With poor health and an unstable income from working as a temporary board dryer, Viet Anh's financial situation was precarious.

During Typhoon Yagi, more than half of Nguyen Viet Anh's small house was flooded, the pillars were rotten, and his belongings were swept away by the floodwaters. Upon receiving a VND5 million (US$197.82) donation from Save the Children, he said that this was a huge amount of money that would help him stabilize his life and cover his daily expenses.

Nguyen Viet Anh (Ninh Thuan hamlet, Nga Quan commune, Tran Yen district, Yen Bai province) receives support from Save the Children. Photo: Dinh Hoa

Like her neighbor Viet Anh, Vu Thi Thanh, 61 years old, from Ninh Thuan hamlet, also received a VND5 million (US$197.82) donation. She plans to buy a study desk for her grandson who just started first grade and repair the damaged items in her house after the storm. "My family lost a lot. However, with the support from Save the Children and people across the country, from instant noodles and sesame salt to this amount of money, it has given us more motivation to overcome difficulties," Thanh said.

Typhoon Number 3 completely destroyed the crops of 53-year-old Dinh Thi Ha's family in Thinh Loi hamlet, Quy Mong commune. More than a meter of mud still covers her fields, making it impossible to cultivate them. Due to poor health, Ha and her husband have to work as hired laborers, peeling cinnamon bark for VND20,000 (US$0.79) per hour. "This VND5 million donation is invaluable. It helps my family buy necessities and stabilize our lives in the coming time," Ha said.

These are just three of the 2,500 households in Yen Bai province that have received support from Save the Children's emergency relief program to respond to the aftermath of Typhoon Number 3 in 2024. The supported areas include Yen Bai city and the districts of Tran Yen, Yen Binh, Van Yen, and Luc Yen. With a total budget of nearly VND26.4 billion (US$1.04 million), the program is funded by the Australian government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) and other donors.

Renee DesChamps (second from the right), Australian Chargé d'Affaires in Vietnam, presents support for people in the flood-affected areas of Yen Bai on November 5, 2024. Photo: Dinh Hoa.

The program, which will be implemented from October 2024 to September 2025, consists of two main parts, emergency relief and rebuilding learning conditions for children in 22 schools. The program will provide cash, equipment, repair clean water facilities, and provide training on clean water use, hygiene, and disaster risk reduction.

At the program launch on November 5th, Le Thi Thuy Duong, director of Strategy, Program Quality and Impact at Save the Children in Vietnam, said "The storm has passed, but the consequences are still severe. Save the Children has been and continues to work closely with the government and local authorities to assess the situation, provide emergency support packages, and build a long-term recovery plan."

Representatives from Save the Children and the Yen Bai Red Cross Society provide financial assistance to residents of Nga Quan commune (Tran Yen district, Yen Bai province) on November 4, 2024. Photo: Dinh Hoa

Renee DesChamps, Australian Chargé d'Affaires in Vietnam, expressed her deep condolences to the people of Yen Bai. She said that after assessing the damage, the Australian government provided emergency humanitarian assistance worth AUD3 million (US$1.97 million) and committed an additional AUD1 million (US$658,000) to rebuild schools, health facilities, and community infrastructure with better resilience to climate change.

She emphasized that the long-standing partnership between Australia and Vietnam has been further strengthened through practical support programs, helping the people of Yen Bai to stabilize their lives and develop sustainably after natural disasters. Australia's support in Yen Bai is implemented through Oxfam, Save the Children, the United Nations and local partners, focusing on vulnerable groups such as children, female-headed households, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. "We aim to improve livelihoods, support nutrition, repair houses, provide clean water and promote sanitation, helping children return to school soon," said DesChamps.

Residents of Nga Quan commune (Tran Yen district, Yen Bai province) are processing the paperwork to receive financial assistance on November 4, 2024. Photo: Dinh Hoa

Le Duc Phuong, vice director of the Yen Bai Red Cross Society, expressed his deep gratitude to Save the Children: "The project will help poor households, near-poor households, households in difficult circumstances, households with children, and households that have never received similar support affected by natural disasters to have more motivation to rebuild their lives, especially to ensure the health and education of children."

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