A woman in the central province of Hà Tĩnh waded through the floodwater on October 21 to receive food aid. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Tường

HÀ NỘI —  United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has extended his sympathies to Party General Secretary and State President Nguyễn Phú Trọng over the serious losses to property and human lives caused by recent storms and floods in Việt Nam’s central region.

In the message, he expressed his deepest condolences and lauded the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to tackle the aftermaths of natural disasters.

The UN is willing to offer humanitarian aid to help Việt Nam overcome the difficulties, he stressed.

A similar message of sympathy from Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has also been delivered to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh

Việt Nam’s central region was left devastated after bearing the brunt of successive storms and tropical depressions in October-November. Since late September, 235 local people have been listed as dead and missing from storms and floods, which have also caused estimated economic losses of about VNĐ17 trillion (US$735.25 million) according to a Government report to the National Assembly on November 2. — VNS