Children’s lives devastated by Cyclone Ketsana in Vietnam
I’ve just arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam to work in the emergency team responding to the devastation caused by cyclone in Vietnam. While Hanoi is unaffected, stories from the affected areas in Central Vietnam are terrible. As in all emergencies, the poorest families are the worst hit – they have no spare cash to fall back on, rely entirely for their survival on their livelihoods activities, and their weak shelters mean they are the most vulnerable to feel the full impact of the storm.
Gia, Head of emergencies for Save the Children in Vietnam, has shared this story from Quang Tri, one of the worst affected areas.
“Today (3 October) is mid-Autumn Moon Day, the festival for all children in the region, but many children in the Ketsana typhoon affected villages are living without food, without homes. Ordinary children today look at the moon with big dreams of good food, fancy toys and surprise presents from their loved ones.”
“The children that I talked with today in Huc Nghi and Pa Hi villages of Ta Long commune in Dakrong district (Quang Tri province) have a different dream: a piece of food, whether delicious or not, which can fill their empty stomachs, warm clothes and a little shelter to protect them from the cold, mosquitoes and other threats around,” Gia continued.
“Those children and their loved ones were badly hit by the disaster. Flash floods struck at midnight after the Ketsana typhoon had destroyed and swept away 60% of the total houses in the village. The remaining houses are badly damaged. Neighbors are sharing their remaining last pieces of food and clothes with the victims. All efforts of poverty reduction for many years now need to be reset from Zero.”
Find out more about what we’re doing to respond to the disasters that have hit the region.
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