Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long presenting gifts to residents affected by the floods in Gia Lai. — VNA/VNS Photo

GIA LAI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long on November 21 visited and presented gifts to residents severely affected by floods in the central province of Gia Lai.

Specifically, Long presented forty gift packages to people in Luật Lê village, where a thirty-metre section of the local dyke was breached and triggered rapid and widespread flooding in the downstream area. Another sixty gift packages were delivered to three other villages along the dyke, namely Vạn Hội 1, Vạn Hội 2, and Diêu Trì, to help locals overcome the aftermath of the disaster.

He also visited SOS Children’s Village Quy Nhơn, where nearly one hundred and thirty orphans along with the staff, had to move to the second floor for safety as floodwaters surrounded and isolated the area. At the village, the Deputy PM presented one hundred seventeen gift packages, providing essential supplies for the children.

On the same day, Long held a meeting with the Gia Lai provincial Party Committee, during which Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phạm Anh Tuấn reported that within a very short period, Gia Lai suffered a “double disaster” caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi and an exceptionally heavy flood immediately afterwards, resulting in severe damage beyond the local capacity for recovery.

Essential infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods of tens of thousands of households were destroyed; many sectors including education, health care, transportation, electricity, and irrigation were heavily affected. It is estimated that the disasters caused a total loss of about VND7 trillion (US$265.6 million) while leaving five dead, one missing, and ten injured.

Given that local resources have been depleted, Gia Lai needs emergency assistance from the central government, Tuấn emphasised, calling for the Government to consider providing VND1 trillion to build resettlement areas for three thousand households in thirty-six high-risk locations requiring urgent relocation.

The province also requested urgent aid of VND1 trillion from the central budget to rebuild Quy Nhơn and repair damaged transport infrastructure across the province.

Secretary of the Gia Lai Party Committee Thái Đại Ngọc said that the entire province, from lowland to mountainous areas, has suffered serious and widespread damage. He requested that police and military forces continue to stay and assist the local authorities and residents in overcoming storm and flood aftermath, especially as hundreds of schools, medical stations, and thousands of homes remain in disarray.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy PM Long expressed sympathy for the province and bereaved families on the difficulties facing them. He acknowledged the proactive and coordinated response by the local authorities and armed forces in the face of disasters, affirming that the timely evacuation of residents and assistance provided by the police and military are a bright spot in the province’s disaster prevention and response efforts.

In the immediate term, the province needs to focus on delivering food, essential supplies, and medicine to residents, while repairing and cleaning medical stations and schools to ensure that students can return to classes as soon as possible.

In addition, Gia Lai must closely monitor the weather, remain vigilant, and avoid complacency. The armed forces should keep supporting residents and local authorities in overcoming flood consequences. In the long term, the province needs to develop plans to help people stabilise their lives, said Long.

The Deputy PM noted that Gia Lai should continue to conduct damage assessments while paying particular attention to the situation of businesses to implement appropriate support mechanisms and policies such as tax relief and assistance with bank debts. He acknowledged the province’s proposals and stated that they will be reported to the PM for timely and suitable action. — VNS