Youth union members unload donated items. — VNA/VNS Photos Nguyễn Oanh

LAI CHÂU — As Mường Than Commune in the mountainous northern province of Lai Châu struggles to recover from devastating flash floods, soldiers and police officers on the front lines are not the only people who have been working tirelessly.

Behind the scenes, countless others, including local officials, civil servants, village leaders, teachers, youth union members, volunteers and residents from both within and outside the commune have been making indispensable contributions with dedication and compassion.

While emergency responders carry out rescue and recovery operations, these volunteers have remained behind the scenes, organising logistics, receiving relief supplies and preparing meals for more than 1,200 evacuees taking shelter from the floods.

In the face of disaster, everyone has been united by a shared determination to care for those in need.

Following the devastating flash flood that struck Mường Than on July 17, the commune People's Committee headquarters has served as the main reception centre for relief donations from benefactors and residents across Lai Châu Province and other parts of the country.

The spacious hall has been filled with donated rice, drinking water, blankets, confectionery and other essential supplies, while charity vehicles have arrived continuously.

Local officials, civil servants and youth volunteers have worked tirelessly to unload and organise the donations.

Hoàng Thủy Thức, a teacher at Mường Than Secondary School, has been volunteering daily at the commune People's Committee headquarters to support relief efforts.

She said that since charitable groups began arriving, teachers and local women's groups had helped receive, sort and transport donated supplies to residential areas and temporary shelters whenever needed.

Secretary of the Mường Than Youth Union Nông Thị Đường said: "Whenever relief convoys arrive, we mobilise youth volunteers to share the workload. They receive donations, record them and distribute essential supplies to residents.

"At times like these, what matters most is everyone working together to deliver urgently needed items to those affected by the disaster as quickly as possible."

Kiều Thị Trang, a commune civil servant responsible for inventory management, commented: "We conduct inventory four times a day, recording all donations from organisations, benefactors and individuals, including cash contributions, to ensure everything matches accurately and to avoid any future questions while maintaining full transparency."

Support has not been limited to Mường Than Commune's officials, teachers and residents. People from neighbouring communes have also joined the relief effort.

Nguyễn Tiến Lân, head of Mường Khoa Village in Mường Khoa Commune, said: "As soon as evacuees arrived at local schools, we coordinated with the local authorities and residents of Phúc Khoa Village to prepare meals for displaced families. Over the past several days, we have collected rice and other necessities to cook and deliver meals to people sheltering at schools."

Residents from nearby communes including Tân Uyên, Than Uyên and Pắc Ta, together with various volunteer groups, have also prepared meals and delivered them directly to evacuees and rescue workers engaged in recovery operations.

Volunteers help clean up Pắc Ta Secondary School to temporarily house residents of flood-hit areas.

Compassion shines in difficult times

Over the past several days, these behind-the-scenes volunteers have worked around the clock, preparing hot meals, organising essential supplies, receiving and sorting relief goods, transporting donations, cleaning schools and community halls, improving sanitation and ensuring aid reaches those most in need.

Meanwhile, commune officials and village leaders have remained on the ground day and night, rapidly assessing damage, inspecting areas at risk of landslides, informing residents of potential dangers and organising evacuations to safer locations, helping minimise casualties and property losses.

Hoàng Phi Hùng, vice chairman of the Mường Than Commune People's Committee, said local officials, civil servants, public employees and teachers had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to relief work. Their spirit of mutual support, solidarity and responsibility had helped flood victims overcome hardship and begin rebuilding their lives.

People from across the province have continued to rally behind Mường Than.

Tân Uyên Commune resident Hà Thị Phớ has been using her family's three trucks each day to transport essential supplies to flood-hit communities.

"Together with other women in the commune, we mobilised donations of food and supplies for the people of Mường Than. Depending on what is needed, we transport food ingredients for logistics teams to prepare enough meals for everyone. This is the time for all of us to stand together and help our fellow citizens recover from the disaster," she said.

According to preliminary figures, donors have so far contributed 25 tonnes of rice, 1,700 cartons of instant noodles and numerous other essential supplies to Mường Than Commune.

As of July 24, the commune's Việt Nam Fatherland Front Committee had received nearly VNĐ5 billion (US$190,000) in cash donations. Numerous volunteer groups had also provided assistance directly to affected residents. — VNS