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In Brief
THIS EMERGENCY APPEAL SEEKS CHF 813,678 (USD 628,813 OR EUR 522,597) IN CASH, KIND, OR SERVICES TO ASSIST 25,000 BENEFICIARIES (5,000 FAMILIES) WITH IMMEDIATE AND LONGER-TERM NEEDS FOR A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS. THE FEDERATION HAS ALLOCATED CHF 200,000 FROM THE DISASTER RELIEF EMERGENCY FUND (DREF) TO COMMENCE THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE OPERATION.
The situation
September 2005 ended on a deadly note when Typhoon Damrey swept across Asia, leaving at least 114 people dead throughout East and Southeast Asia. The t y phoon's path began in the Philippines during the second week of September before slamming into China on 26 September killing 25 people and leaving h t ousands there homeless. The resulting death toll would eventually rise even higher in Thailand, but it was Vietnam which suffered the greatest levels of damage when on Tuesday, 27 September, Typhoon Damrey struck the country's coastal provinces extending from Quang Ninh into Da Nang. In less than an hour, winds ranging from 118 to 133 km per hour brought on by the worst typhoon to strike the country in a decade, left tens of thousands homeless in Thanh Hoa province, located 150 km south of Hanoi. Thousands of homes were severely damaged as the strength of the winds blew away the poorly constructed metal roof tops commonly used by houses in the affected area, or in some cases completely destroyed people's homes. At t h e same time, an estimated 100,000 trees were uprooted and more than 300,000 fruit trees were destroyed.
As local authorities along with staff and volunteers from Vietnam Red Cross (VNRC) chapters in coastal provinces were in the midst of responding to Tuesday's damage, the violent arrival of the typhoon in Vietnam's mountainous northern provinces of Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Phu Tho on Wednesday led to the loss of another 60 lives. The majority of deaths in Vietnam occurred in Yen Bai where the mountainous terrain created prime conditions for mudslides which swept away entire small villages.
According to the most recent reports, a total of 68 people were killed and 22 were injured in the northern and central regions affected by the typhoon. Sea water which penetrated inland by 3 to 4 km in coastal provinces and the following flash floods in upland areas reportedly destroyed at least 1,194 houses, and damaged another 11,576. The estimated USD 209 million (CHF 270 million) losses in property pose a tremendous setback to Vietnam's agricultural sector as subsistence farmers from typhoon-affected areas now face the greatest obstacles in recovering from the typhoon. Thousands of people were unable to protect their sole source of income for the coming months from being brutally swept away by Typhoon Damrey's raging winds and rains. The force of the typhoon didn't allow them the chance to salvage months of labour in the fields that went into cultivating the 300,000 ha of rice and cash crops which were destroyed. With the sea water salinating the rice fields and the consequent impossibility of winter crop, there is an obvious threat of hunger over the next three to six months and even longer. Options to earn a l i ving in the coming months are even fewer with the loss of and damage to close to 22,000 shrimp and fish ponds. Many houses are still under sea water, and most of the cattle and household facilities were washed away or destroyed. In total, some 100,000 houses in the affected areas are thought to have been either submerged or damaged, and around 4,000 estimated destroyed.
The 600,000 people evacuated prior to the typhoon possess little access to food and water. As of the first week of October, many of the evacuees are not as yet able to return to their homes, while others who can are returning but are faced with loss. There is no water supply, electricity or food, while findings in the aftermath of the disaster from a joint rapid needs assessment in three provinces in the coastal area, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh, reported some 200,000 people facing food shortages. Of equal concern is the damage to wells caused by sea water which has made drinking water unavailable in most areas.
The national and local response to the typhoon was excellent. Provincial and local governments have been providing emergency food assistance to people affected by the typhoon, in addition to human and financial resources devoted to ensure that people are safe and sea dykes are protected during the storm. The Vietnam Red Cross (VNRC) immediately distributed VND 120 million (CHF 9,832.00) from its emergency funds, and released 900 household kits to affected areas in Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh and Thai Binh provinces.
Typhoon Damrey has arrived against the backdrop of the country's battle with avian influenza. According to Vietnam's health ministry, since the start of 2005, 64 people from 25 localities have been infected by avian i n fluenza while there have been more than 40 human deaths. Millions of poultry have been culled in Asia. It is the country's small farmers, those farmers who possess 100-200 chickens, who are feeling the most devastating economic effects of the disease as efforts to prevent the disease include the destruction of their flocks.
The needs
Assessments
Before the typhoon struck, staff and volunteers from the VNRC headquarters and chapters in Quang Ninh and Quang Binh provinces worked in close cooperation with the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC) and the local authorities to assist vulnerable communities with preparing for the typhoon.
On Wednesday and Thursday 28 and 29 September, representatives from the VNRC and the International Federation participated in a joint assessment mission to the three most affected provinces Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh. The team was comprised of representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), OXFAM-Great Britain and representatives from the CCFSC and the ministry of foreign affairs. Priority areas for assistance for the emergency phase and recovery phase were identified based on the findings of the joint mission.
According to VNRC, the loss of crops which function as the primary and in many cases the sole source of food and i n come for affected households have left some 300,000 people requiring food in the coming month.
Immediate needs:
The most pressing immediate needs of the affected population, particularly those people living in coastal areas, as i d entified by the joint assessment team are for: food (rice), drinking water, household kits, mosquito nets, and clothing. At the same time, people living in the coastal areas where all the water is salinated most likely will have to t r avel some distance to acquire fresh water so they will also require water storage containers.
Longer-term needs:
1. Shelter for people who have lost their houses.
2. Medicine and water purification tablets (where appropriate).
3. Education materials for children.
4. Support to rebuild houses which will complement government compensation.
5. Cash for work programmes.
Coordination
The VNRC and the Federation are members of the country's Disaster Management Working Group (DMWG). As such, the VNRC and the Federation will continue to carry out response activities in close cooperation and consultation with UNDP, UNICEF, OXFAM-Great Britain, the CCFSC, the ministry of foreign affairs as well as with other organizations.
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
In Hanoi: Dr. Trinh Bang Hop, Head of International Relations and Development Department, Viet Nam Red Cross; email: vnrchq@netnam.org.vn; Phone: +84.4.822.4320; Fax: +84.4.942.4285
In Hanoi: Leopoldo Principe, Federation Representative, email: le opoldo.principe@ifrc.org; Phone: +84.4.942.2980 (ext. 216); Fax: +84.4.942.2987
In Bangkok: Bekele Geleta, Head of Regional Delegation; email: bekele.geleta@ifrc.org; Phone: +66.2.640.8211; F ax: +66.2.640.8220
In Geneva: Charles Evans or Sabine Feuglet, Southeast Asia Desk, Asia Pacific Department; email: charles.evans@ifrc.orgo r sabine.feuglet@ifrc.org; Phone: +41.22.730.4320/4349; Fax: +41.22.733.0395
For longer-term programmes, please refer to the Federation's Annual Appeal.
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere)i n delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.
For longer-term programmes in this or other countries or regions, please refer to the Federation's Annual Appeal. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for national society profiles, please also access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org
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