The resettlement area in Lở Hamlet of Nam Động Commune, Thanh Hóa Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

THANH HÓA — A total of 282 households in the mountainous region of the north central province of Thanh Hóa have been relocated to safer areas and provided with financial support through provincial funds.

The reallocation is a part of a project to arrange and stabilise the population in areas with a high risk of flash floods, landslides, and soil erosion in mountainous districts of the province for the 2021-25 period.

However, to date, 151 households in Ón Hamlet in the border district of Mường Lát, in Co Hương Hamlet in Quan Sơn District, Lở Hamlet in Nam Động Commune and Tang Hamlet in Trung Thành Commune, Quan Hóa District, have yet to receive the full amount of relocation support, totalling nearly VNĐ3 billion (US$119,000).

Since 2022, residents of Lở Hamlet in Nam Động Commune, Quan Hóa District, who lived at the base of Pom Dưới Mountain, an area at high risk of flash floods, landslides and soil erosion, have been classified for relocation.

Following the Government’s investment in a new resettlement area, residents from Lở Hamlet were moved to the new site at the beginning of 2023.

Using State funds, the relocated households received financial support for building houses at their new locations, with each household receiving between VNĐ30 million and VNĐ80 million ($1,200-3,200).

However, 34 households in the village have yet to receive the full amount of resettlement support.

The delay was due to only a portion of the support funds being disbursed from State sources when the resettlement area was built and residents were relocated.

The remaining amount that is funded by the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and other organisations, has not been fully provided and mobilising funds from these sources has proven challenging.

As a result, after a prolonged period, residents are still awaiting for the complete disbursement of resettlement support.

Lương Văn Cẩn, a resident of Lở Hamlet, said that his family has been living in the resettlement area for a long time and was supposed to receive VNĐ75 million ($3,000) to rebuild his home.

However, his family has only received VNĐ50 million so far.

Similarly, Lò Thị Sử moved to the resettlement area long ago but has yet to receive financial support of VNĐ10 million ($400).

Her family is currently facing financial difficulties and still owes money to the bank for their home. She hoped that remaining funds will be soon released to help her family stabilise their life.

Many households in Lở Village are waiting for the full financial support following their relocation. — VNA/VNS Photo

In 2023, the Quan Hóa District People's Committee arranged and relocated 111 households to the resettlement areas in Lở Hamlet and Tang Hamlet of Trung Thành Commune with a total support amount of VNĐ4.5 billion ($178,000).

However, the district still lacks nearly VNĐ2 billion ($80,000) to support residents in the new resettlement areas.

The district government has submitted a request to relevant departments and agencies for additional funding to support the residents.

Lê Văn Nam, deputy head of the Agriculture Office in Quan Hóa District, said that under Resolution 590 by the Thanh Hóa Province Party Committee in 2021, financial support for households relocated to new resettlement areas was approved.

However, households have only received provincial budget support, while funds from the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and other organisations have not yet been provided, he said.

The district’s People's Committee has requested the province’s People's Committee and Việt Nam Fatherland Front mobilise funds to support the residents, as they face numerous difficulties and need additional funding to sustain their lives in the new resettlement areas.

Under the plan for population arrangement and stabilisation in areas prone to flooding and landslides in the mountainous districts of Thanh Hóa for the 2021-25 period, so far, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and local authorities have relocated 282 households to safe locations, with provincial funds providing direct support.

However, funding from the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has yet to be disbursed to these households.

Lê Bá Lương, head of the Rural Development Sub-department in Thanh Hóa Province, confirmed that the districts have submitted lists of households that have not received their full resettlement support funds to the department.

The department has compiled the information and requested that the provincial Việt Nam Fatherland Front address the issue.

In addition to providing support, Thanh Hóa Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to promote public awareness of the Government's policies, encouraging residents to support the implementation of resettlement projects to ensure their safety and improve their livelihoods, he said. — VNS