HÒA BÌNH — The northern province of Hòa Bình has shown responsibility and solidarity in recovering from the effects of typhoons last year.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Xuân Cường said this on Sunday when he led a delegation of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention to check the progress in relief and rehabilitation work in Hòa Bình Province.

Cường said the country in general and Hòa Bình Province in particular suffered great loss last year due to natural disasters.

With the country ready for Tết (Lunar New Year) next month, the province should visit and support families who suffered losses during typhoons, he said.

Cường agreed with the province’s proposal to give urgent support to construction work. He asked the provincial authorities to check and determine which construction work needed investment first to ensure timely agricultural production this year.

The province should come up with a plan to tackle landslides and ensure high sustainability so that local residents can have peace of mind, he said.

Bùi Văn Tỉnh, the provincial Party Committee Secretary, asked for help from the delegation to restore stability in the lives of local residents, minimise the risk of landslides and improve agricultural production after natural disasters.

Tỉnh proposed the delegation to have an effective plan to help the province draw investment in agriculture. He emphasised on switching from rice cultivation to other crops with high economic value.

Last year, typhoons in Hòa Bình Province killed 42 people and inflicted damage of more than VNĐ2.8 trillion (US$124.9 million).

But the province’s people came together to support each other in resettlement, improving agricultural production and building necessary infrastructure.

The province built 12 resettlement quarters so that no family had to live in temporary houses.

But many construction and irrigation works are only temporary and are not strong enough to operate safely in the long run.

The provincial People’s Committee asked the delegation to report the situation to Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc for further support.

The committee requested more funds for esettlement. So far, the Government has given a little more than VNĐ420 billion ($18.5 million).

Another fund that the committee sought was to deal with landslides in Thái Bình and Chăm Mát wards in Hòa Bình City. The Government has so far given some VNĐ250 billion ($11 million).

On the same day, the delegation visited a few households who had to suffer due to the typhoons and gave them more than 200 sets of presents, with each set worth more than VNĐ1 million ($44). — VNS