The Prime Minister's next dispatch on focusing on responding to and overcoming the consequences of exceptionally heavy rain and floods in the Central region

Photo caption

Specialized ships of the Navy were mobilized to support rescue of people in flooded areas of Khanh Hoa province. Photo: Xuan Trieu/VNA

The Prime Minister telegraphed: Comrades, Provincial Party Secretaries and Chairmen of the People's Committees of Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak , Gia Lai and Lam Dong provinces; Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies; Chief of Office of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee.

The telegram stated: In the past few days, there has been heavy rain over a large area, floods on rivers from Quang Tri to Khanh Hoa have exceeded alert level 2 to alert level 3, many places are above alert level 3, especially on some rivers in Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa have exceeded historical flood levels in many years (floods on Ba River at Cung Son station in Dak Lak province (formerly Phu Yen ) exceeded the historical flood peak in 1993 by 1.09m). Heavy rain, especially heavy floods, combined with high tides have caused extremely serious flooding (according to the synthesis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, over 52,000 houses in more than 128 communes and wards in the provinces of Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong were deeply flooded); many residential areas were deeply flooded, the water flowed rapidly, causing separation and isolation, some places are still inaccessible, there is a risk of food shortages in the coming days.

The Government and the Prime Minister have focused on directing the implementation of flood prevention, control and response work early, from afar, closely following the situation (the Prime Minister has 5 telegrams; as assigned by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung directly chaired meetings with ministries, branches and localities and directly inspected, urged and directed flood response). The entire political system, especially the military, police, local authorities and people have taken drastic and timely actions, contributing to limiting damage; localities have proactively organized the relocation and evacuation of 18,408 households, with 61,035 people in areas at risk of landslides and floods, thereby making an important contribution to ensuring the safety of people's lives.
However, due to historic rains and floods, the flood situation is still very complicated, especially the risk of flash floods and landslides is very high.

To urgently respond to and overcome the consequences of floods and storms, ensure safety of life and limit damage to people's and State's property, the Prime Minister requests:

The Secretaries and Chairmen of the People's Committees of the Central provinces, especially Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Lam Dong, continue to focus on directing the response and quick recovery of flood consequences according to the direction of the Prime Minister in Official Dispatches No. 217/CD-TTg dated November 16, 2025; No. 218/CD-TTg dated November 16, 2025; No. 219/CD-TTg dated November 17, 2025; No. 222/CD-TTg dated November 19, 2025; No. 223/CD-TTg dated November 20, 2025, including:

Local authorities and Party committees must concentrate all their efforts, mobilize all forces, means and by all means, in all directions to urgently reach all residential areas that are still isolated and deeply flooded to rescue people. Absolutely must not let the situation of people being isolated in their homes or on rooftops calling for help without receiving timely help.

It is necessary to urgently provide adequate food, meals, drinking water and other necessities for the people; mobilize the Youth and Women's forces to organize cooking and distribution to the people; proactively evacuate people to the safest places, be ready to give up public offices (including police and army headquarters if necessary) to serve as temporary shelters and take good care of the people.

Organize visits, encourage and immediately implement the best support policies according to regulations within the capacity for affected families, especially families with dead or missing members, families with collapsed, washed away or damaged houses.

Focus on directing review and assessment of damage caused by floods.

Ministries of National Defense and Public Security: Direct subordinate units to maintain and mobilize maximum forces and means to carry out search and rescue work; closely coordinate with localities to send forces to provide logistical support (cooking, transporting necessities) and be ready to give up facilities as temporary evacuation sites, ensuring safety and adequate living conditions for people.

The Ministries of Agriculture and Environment and Industry and Trade coordinate closely, continue to review and guide the safe and reasonable operation of reservoirs (irrigation, hydropower), prioritize reducing flood discharge downstream to minimize damage to people; restore electricity supply for production and daily life immediately after the flood.

Ministries of Construction and Public Security: Coordinate with local police to review, inspect, and block roads, restricting people's travel on traffic routes at risk of landslides or dangerous deep flooding. Local officials and leaders must take direct responsibility if landslides or accidents occur, causing loss of life and property due to lack of control or untimely road closures.

The Ministry of Science and Technology, VNPT, Viettel, and Mobifone Corporations urgently directed their affiliated units to immediately fix communication problems in heavily affected areas, ensuring smooth communication for command, operation, and rescue work.

The Ministry of Health urgently supports local authorities with medicines, supplies, and cleaning chemicals. Directs grassroots medical forces to promptly provide guidance on post-flood environmental sanitation and disease prevention as soon as the water recedes.

Ministry of Education and Training: Directs educational institutions and local leaders to prioritize ensuring student safety. Only allow students to return to school when it is absolutely safe; if it is not safe, proactively allow students to stay home from school and organize make-up classes later to ensure student safety.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment closely coordinates with localities to urgently compile statistics on all damages to people, property, and infrastructure to synthesize and report to the Government and the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Finance shall provide and support rice and materials as requested by localities; study and advise the Prime Minister to consider and decide on financial support for localities, initially for Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces, each province, about 200 billion VND; Gia Lai and Dak Lak, each province, about 150 billion VND, to be completed on November 20, 2025. The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall direct the organization of transporting rice to the people.

The Office of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee closely monitors the situation, proactively coordinates and mobilizes forces and means to support localities in overcoming landslides and responding to floods according to assigned functions and tasks.

The Prime Minister called for the people and philanthropists to help, support each other with the spirit of "national love, compatriotism, whoever has something helps, whoever has a lot helps a lot, whoever has a little helps a little, whoever has merit helps merit, whoever has property helps property, wherever there is convenience, help there".

The Prime Minister assigned Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long to inspect, urge and direct the response and recovery work for floods in Gia Lai province; Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc to inspect, urge and direct the response and recovery work for floods in Dak Lak province; Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung to inspect, urge and direct the response and recovery work for floods in Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces.

Press and media agencies continue to closely monitor the situation, reflect and fully inform the people, and at the same time provide guidance on natural disaster prevention skills to authorities and people.

The Prime Minister requested ministries, branches and localities to seriously and resolutely implement this Official Dispatch.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/cong-dien-tiep-theo-cua-thu-tuong-ve-tap-trung-ung-pho-va-khac-phuc-hau-qua-mua-lu-dac-biet-lon-tai-khu-vuc-trung-bo-20251121061650817.htm