United States Provides Assistance to Vietnam Flood Victims

Friday, November 21, 2008

HANOI, November 21, 2008 – Expressing his condolences to the families of those affected by the recent flooding, U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak today announced that the United States Government was providing $50,000 for emergency supplies to 2,000 Vietnamese families hardest hit by the worst flooding the country has seen in decades.

In early November, torrential rain and floods in 20 northern Vietnamese provinces claimed the lives of at least 85 people, damaged 180,000 houses, damaged 160 kilometers of rural roads, and devastated over 265,000 hectares of rice and vegetable fields. Total losses are estimated at over $440 million.

The U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide the $50,000 to support the emergency response activities of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This response will include 2,000 household supply kits which will be distributed to flood victims living in Hanoi and the hard-hit provinces of Vinh Phuc, Ninh Binh, and Ha Nam.

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