HÀ NỘI — The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) has sent supplies worth US$230,000 to flood-hit localities in the northern mountainous region of Việt Nam.

The supplies include 600 household kits, 3,000 private hygiene kits, 600 kitchen kits, a mobile canvas house for storing goods, a 16KVA generator, and 300 tool kits for house repairs.

The items taken from the Centre’s warehouse in Subang, Malaysia, arrived yesterday at Hà Nội’s Nội Bài International Airport  and will be delievered to the needy as soon as possible.

Over the past month, prolonged torrential rains, flash floods and landslides have affected the provinces of Sơn La, Yên Bái, Điện Biên and the north-central province of Nghệ An, killing at least 26 people and injuring 27. Fifteen others are missing.

Floods also swept away and destroyed 231 houses, partially damaged 245 houses, submerged 338.5 hectares of rice, and forced the evacuation of 398 households. The intense floods swept away over 25,000 cubic metres of national roads, 117,706 cubic metres of provincial and district roads; damaged 145 irrigation works and 2,072 metres of river dike, causing over VNĐ 940 billion ($41.36 million) in economic losses in the affected provinces.

This is the first time Việt Nam has called for ASEAN support after natural disasters. Adelina Kamal, Acting Director of the AHA Centre, also sent a message of sympathy from the ASEAN community to those severely affected by the floods and landslides.

She also thanked the Vietnamese Government for having belief in the centre and asking it for support.

The AHA Centre headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, is an intergovernmental organisation of the 10 ASEAN members aiming to create favourable conditions for and coordinating the response by ASEAN members and international organisations in managing disasters.— VNS