Police officers prepare a water system to wash down Giếng Vuông traditional market, affected by recent flooding, in the northern mountainous province of Lạng Sơn. — VNA/VNS Photo Tiến Vĩnh

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng has ordered provinces and cities affected by Typhoon Narra and recent flooding to step up recovery efforts and restore normal life as quickly as possible, with schools among the top priorities ahead of the new academic year.

In a Government Office document issued on Friday, Dũng told local authorities to urgently repair flood-damaged schools and educational facilities, completing the work before September 1 to ensure the new school year starts on schedule.

“Absolutely no student should be left without a school, classroom, textbooks or learning materials,” he said.

The Ministry of Education and Training was tasked with directing, urging and supporting localities in repairing damaged educational facilities and developing plans to provide teaching equipment, textbooks and learning materials to affected schools.

It must report the results to the Prime Minister by September 2.

The requests were made in Government Office document No. 8916, conveying Dũng's instructions to relevant ministries, sectors and localities.

The document was sent to the ministries of Agriculture and Environment; Construction; Education and Training; Health; Finance; National Defence; and Public Security, as well as the chairpersons of the People's Committees of Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Phú Thọ, Lào Cai, Điện Biên, Sơn La, Lai Châu, Tuyên Quang, Thái Nguyên, Bắc Ninh, Hưng Yên, Hà Nội, Ninh Bình, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An and Hà Tĩnh.

Dũng also instructed local authorities to mobilise personnel and vehicles to reach households still isolated by flooding and landslides and provide food, drinking water and essential supplies.

Authorities must visit and support families affected by the disasters, particularly those who have suffered deaths or house collapses, while ensuring injured people receive medical treatment.

For households whose homes have been destroyed, localities must provide temporary accommodation, food, drinking water and essential goods, ensuring that no one is left hungry, thirsty or without shelter.

Roads blocked by flooding and landslides must be cleared as quickly as possible to restore safe traffic and facilitate relief operations. Electricity supplies should also be restored to support production and daily life.

Localities were instructed to address environmental sanitation problems to prevent disease outbreaks after the floods and restore agricultural production to help people stabilise their livelihoods.

They must also conduct accurate assessments of damage and use budget reserves and other available resources to provide support, particularly to poor and disadvantaged households, policy beneficiaries and vulnerable groups.

Dũng stressed that assistance must be delivered in accordance with regulations and without wastefulness, corruption or other wrongdoing.

The Ministries of National Defence and Public Security were asked to keep military and police forces, equipment and vehicles ready to assist affected communities when requested.

The Ministry of Construction was assigned to restore damaged transport infrastructure and construction works and promptly deal with landslides, particularly on major transport routes.

The Ministry of Health was instructed to repair damaged medical facilities and carry out environmental sanitation measures to prevent disease outbreaks.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment was tasked with directing disaster recovery and agricultural restoration, while repairing damaged irrigation reservoirs and dams, dykes and rural water supply facilities to prepare for future storms and floods.

The ministry will also work with heavily flooded localities, particularly Lạng Sơn and Bắc Ninh, to identify the causes of flooding and develop measures to improve flood prevention and ensure the safety of urban and densely populated areas.

Following a preliminary report from the Việt Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority issued on Saturday morning, four people have died and three have been injured due to the typhoon and recent flooding.

Two houses have collapsed completely, one in Hà Nội and one in Sơn La.

A total of 414 houses remain flooded in Lạng Sơn, Bắc Ninh and Hà Nội, down by 292 from the Friday report. Another 533 households remain isolated by flooded roads, down by 240.

As floodwaters recede, local authorities are helping residents return home safely.

Eight locations remain affected by landslides and 30 by flooding. Authorities are continuing to mobilise personnel and equipment to clear affected routes and restore traffic connectivity as soon as possible. — VNS