Heavy floods batter Phú Quốc Island in the early August. — Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI — The European Union (EU) has offered support worth 100,000 euros (US$114,000) to assist flood-hit localities in southern and Central Highlands provinces.

The allocation was announced on Wednesday to support more than 18,000 residents who suffered from heavy floods in early August from Đắk Lắk, Kiên Giang and Lâm Đồng provinces.

The assistance package includes blankets, mosquito nets, cooking equipment, and cash.

The package is part of the EU’s assistance for Disaster Relief Emergency Fund and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Through European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the union helps more than 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters every year.

The provinces witnessed torrential rain and historic floods on the early days of this month.

In the first 10 days of August alone, Phú Quốc Island in Kiên Giang Province experienced more than 1,100mm of rain, equivalent to half the rainfall it usually sees in a year.

Water levels reportedly rose up to two metres. All activities from fishing to tourism on the 600sq.km island was paralysed. More than 8,400 houses were inundated with more than 2,000 people relocated to safe places.

The total losses from the two consecutive floods on the island were estimated to exceed VNĐ107 billion ($4.6 million).

The prolonged rainstorms in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng caused flooding of up to 1.5m. The flooding led to dramatic scenes, with more than 40 people in Lát Commune, Lạc Dương District having to hang onto a rope to escape after being stranded. — VNS