Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng speaks with a resident in flood-hit Tuy Phước Commune, Gia Lai Province, on Jan. 12.— VNA/VNS Photo

GIA LAI — Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng has urged authorities in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to complete post-disaster housing reconstruction without delay, ensuring families affected by last year’s natural disasters can move into safe homes before the Lunar New Year.

During an inspection visit on Monday, he reviewed progress under the government’s Quang Trung Campaign, a nationwide rapid-response programme launched to rebuild and repair houses damaged by severe storms and flooding.

Gia Lai was hit by a series of extreme weather events in November 2025, including Typhoon Kalmaegi and a historic flood between November 16 and 20, described by local officials as the most destructive sequence of disasters the province has faced in years.

Provincial authorities said more than VNĐ1.5 trillion (about US$60 million) has been spent so far on emergency response and recovery.

Under the campaign, military units, police forces and local authorities were mobilised to accelerate housing reconstruction. More than 1,200 personnel from army and naval units, together with provincial military forces, were deployed to support the construction of over 100 homes, while provincial police assisted in building 87 more.

Commune-level authorities also drew on local militias, disaster-response teams and youth volunteers to carry out repairs and construction. Officials said crews were instructed to work continuously, including on weekends and public holidays, to meet tight deadlines.

Latest data show that repairs have been completed on all of the more than 27,500 homes that required fixing. Of the 674 houses slated for new construction, all have been started and more than 96 per cent have been completed. The remaining 23 houses, mostly larger, multi-storey buildings, are taking longer to finish. Authorities said work on these homes is being accelerated, with a target completion date of January 15, in line with instructions from the central government.

New homes for disaster-affected residents in Gia Lai's Đề Gi Commune are being completed, Jan. 12.

At the conclusion of the visit, Deputy Prime Minister Dũng praised what he described as strong coordination between central and local authorities, and the role of the military and police in delivering results under intense time pressure.

He acknowledged, however, that delays remain in a small number of cases and said all outstanding work must be completed on schedule to ensure residents can move into durable housing before the holiday period.

“The goal is not just to meet numerical targets. Homes must be safe and built to last, so people can feel secure over the long term,” he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the campaign showed how urgent and complex recovery tasks could be completed quickly when resources are mobilised effectively and decision-making is streamlined, adding that the approach should continue to be applied in future disaster response efforts. — VNS