"It's been five days since I've been able to get through the mud to receive relief supplies."

NDO - Five days after the historic flood, Ms. Bui Thi Hoa (Bai Duong village, Yen Bai city, Yen Bai province) was able to wade through a deep mud puddle to the village cultural house to receive relief gifts. "The water rose quickly, and in one night the whole house was submerged. We had to run up the hill and take shelter in a neighbor's chicken coop. Now the water and mud have receded, and we can wade down here," Ms. Hoa said with red eyes.

Peace Winds Japan organization gives gifts to people in flood-affected areas.

Today (September 14), Ms. Hoa received blankets, rice, cooking oil and some essential items. She sobbed and said that everything was lost, now the house is flooded with mud, she doesn't know if she can move the house in a month. "Everything is gone, ma'am. I've never suffered like this before," the woman's shoulders trembled, choking up. Mr. Nguyen Duy Son (Bai Duong village, Yen Bai city, Yen Bai province), who lives next door to the village, also waded through the mud to receive relief gifts. Pointing to his 3-story house, he said that on the night of September 10, the water quickly flooded the first floor, up to the metal roof. He had been running around for days but still couldn't get everything done, and he also helped his neighbor row a boat against the current to the hospital. He said that by the time the water rose to the first floor at night, he was exhausted.

People crossed the swamp to receive relief gifts from benefactors.

Pointing to the Red River bank a few hundred meters away from his house, Mr. Son said: “Go Chua is famous for being the highest on the riverbank. Before, it was only 1 meter high, but in this flood, it was 3 meters high. The whole village has more than 200 houses, only 8 of which were not submerged. There is no electricity, and there is also a lack of clean water. For the past few days, we have only lived on instant noodles and milk.” The house is located next to the Red River. The big flood did not follow the flow but flooded both sides of the dike, and about 2 hours later, it swallowed the entire Bai Duong village. The entire first floor was flooded, but for Mr. Son, that was not as “painful” as more than an acre of flower trellis still submerged in water. “Losing hundreds of millions, it is so heartbreaking, I don’t know when it will be restored,” Mr. Son said absentmindedly.

The house behind Mr. Nguyen Duy Son was flooded up to the edge of the second floor.

Today, people in Duong Bai village received rice, blankets, sheets, mosquito nets, and many other essential items from many benefactors. From 5am this morning, members of the Peace Winds Japan organization and Mr. Sugi Ryotaro (special advisor on medical administration of the Ministry of Health , Labor and Welfare of Japan) brought 1,000 gifts (blankets + mosquito nets); 2 tons of rice; 17 barrels of cooking oil; 12 barrels of fish sauce and many other necessities on the journey straight to Yen Bai, giving gifts to people in 4 areas that were heavily damaged after the flood, including Bai Duong village, Yen Bai city; Phuc Dinh village, Viet Thanh commune, Tran Yen district; Mo Vang commune; Chau Que Ha, Van Yen district. The mud created puddles that sucked the wheels, many vehicles got stuck. All roads to the relief points had to be moved step by step, or had to take a detour.

People receive relief gifts from the organization.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Standing Deputy Secretary of Van Chan district, the rising water level caused floods on the Red River with a flood peak of 35.73m (above level 3 warning level 3 is 3.73m), higher than the flood peaks of 1968 and 2008, affecting and causing damage to public works, houses and agricultural production areas in communes and towns in the area. The whole district had 4 deaths, 3 injuries; 69 houses damaged; 3 houses had to be urgently evacuated. The district had 5 flood-prevention dikes broken and eroded in the communes of Nga Quan, Viet Thanh, Minh Quan, and Co Phuc town. The dangerous thing now is that Da Chay hill in Viet Thanh commune is cracking in half, at risk of landslides. Households around the hill have been moved to a safe place. People in Bai Duong are struggling in the mud to rebuild a new life. Under the sun after the storm, the stench of garbage and mud makes everyone have to wear masks.

People in Yen Bai city are trying to rebuild their lives after a historic flood of 2.5 meters high.

From Bai Duong, we went up to Van Chan and Van Yen. People came down from the high hills to clean their houses. They brought everything out to the yard to dry, from books, clothes, tables and chairs... to electrical appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines... Receiving gifts from benefactors, people were moved to tears. Everyone was heartbroken when their houses had nothing of value left after the historic flood. In the center of Yen Bai city, a nearly 3km stretch of Thanh Nien Street was submerged in thick mud. The 2.5m high floodwaters were still visible on the walls of the houses. After many days of cleaning, many people were tired, bewildered, and helpless as they looked at the thick piles of mud. The carcasses of chickens, ducks, and fish floated, mixed with the mud, emitting a suffocating smell. "It will probably take another 10 days, maybe this mud will dry up so we can clean it up," said Ha Duc Mau.

Yen Bai city in disarray after historic flood.

In Van Yen, the most tragic incident was the house of Mr. Ly Van Khuyen (Khe Bon village). In the early evening of September 10, torrential rain caused the hill behind his house to quickly collapse. Rocks and soil collapsed, burying his level 4 house in an instant. Mr. Khuyen, who had a serious stroke, was promptly pulled out of the mud by his son and taken to the emergency room; however, 2 people in his house, including his wife and a driver, were completely buried. On the afternoon of September 14, the Peace Winds Japan organization visited Mr. Khuyen's family. The delegation of the Environmental Economics Magazine also represented the donors and reporters of the editorial office to present essential supplies in Yen Thai commune, Van Yen, Yen Bai and paid a special visit to Mr. Khuyen's family.

Environmental Economics Magazine delegation visited Mr. Khuyen's family.

Will continue to support people in terms of health According to Ms. Dang Thi Hien, representative of the Sugi Ryotaro organization in Vietnam and the Peace Winds Japan organization, immediately after learning that Vietnam was suffering heavy damage from storms and floods, members of the organization planned to organize support activities for people in flood-affected areas. "We surveyed the needs of local people for essential goods to choose suitable necessities such as rice, cooking oil, blankets, mosquito nets, etc. In addition to giving gifts to people in areas affected by storms and floods, we also surveyed the health issues of local people to have a plan to return to support examination and treatment," Ms. Hien said.

In addition to giving gifts, Peace Winds Japan and Sugi Ryotaro in Vietnam also surveyed the local situation to plan to return to provide medical support to the locality.

Mr. Nobuyuki Harita, Director of the "Project to Protect the Life and Health of Vietnamese People" shared that Japan faces many storms and floods every year, but this is the first time he feels that this storm has had such a great impact on the northern provinces of Vietnam. He was touched by the spirit of preparation of the project members and the spirit of mutual love and support of the Vietnamese people. Therefore, with the desire to contribute a small part to support the Vietnamese people, he and his colleagues learned about the necessary necessities for people in the flood-affected areas. In addition, the delegation also surveyed the causes and needs for medical treatment of local people to have a plan to continue supporting.

Ms. Hien said that through discussions with the commune leaders, she learned that the locality is lacking long boots, toilet paper, children's clothing, etc. Therefore, the organization will soon return here, bringing necessities and essential items as quickly as possible to the people here. "Regarding health , we will be ready to support medical staff from Japan to help examine people who may have infectious diseases after storms and floods," Ms. Hien said. Also on this day, the Peace Winds Japan organization and Sugi Ryotaro in Vietnam presented to the leaders of the Yen Bai Provincial Department of Health 100 boxes of mosquito spray to prevent dengue fever after floods.

Japanese sponsoring delegation donated 100 boxes of mosquito repellent to Yen Bai Provincial Department of Health.

Ms. Le Thi Hong Van, Director of the Yen Bai Provincial Department of Health, thanked the medical experts of the "Project to protect the lives and health of Vietnamese people" for screening 300 people in Nghia Lo, Yen Bai in August 2024. At the meeting, the Yen Bai Department of Health also awarded a Certificate of Merit to Mr. Nobuyuki Harita, Project Director and Ms. Dang Thi Hien, representative of the Sugi Ryotaro organization in Vietnam.

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