This financial aid will be distributed among the affected localities to facilitate recovery efforts. Hue City and Quang Ngai province will each receive VND 100 billion. Gia Lai province is allocated VND 300 billion, and Dak Lak province will receive VND 200 billion. These funds are designated to help residents rebuild collapsed homes, repair damaged roofs, and restore essential infrastructure, including education, healthcare, transportation, and irrigation systems. The funding will be drawn from the central budget's contingency reserve for 2025.

The Prime Minister has instructed the leaders of the four provinces and cities on the responsible use of these funds. He mandated that they balance local budgets, integrate central government funds, and leverage other legal resources for disaster recovery. The directive emphasizes using the funds appropriately and for their intended purpose, preventing any loss or waste.

This latest allocation follows previous government efforts to provide relief to the central region. Earlier, the government had already disbursed VND 1,500 billion to seven central localities, with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front distributing an additional VND 206 billion.

Soldiers help residents re-roof houses after storms and floods in Ha Tinh. *Photo: Duc Hung*

The Prime Minister recently assessed the damage and issued directives for urgent recovery and reconstruction. Yesterday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh surveyed damaged areas in Gia Lai and held an online meeting with localities from Ha Tinh to Dak Lak. Following this, the government leader issued an official dispatch. This directive mandates the completion of new construction and resettlement for households whose homes were swept away or completely collapsed before 31/1/2026. It also requires the restoration of electricity, water, telecommunications, disrupted transportation, irrigation, and dams before 20/11. Specifically, in De Gi commune, Gia Lai, the Prime Minister called for immediate establishment of a new resettlement area.

The Ministry of National Defense has mobilized military forces for search, rescue, and landslide recovery operations. On the same day, the Ministry of National Defense issued a directive ordering all military units to mobilize maximum personnel and equipment to assist central provinces in overcoming the consequences of storms, floods, and landslides. The General Staff, General Department of Politics, Military Region 4, Military Region 5, and various military branches are tasked with coordinating with local authorities to provide the fastest and most urgent response.

Specific military units have been deployed to critical landslide sites. The Ministry of National Defense ordered Military Region 5 to deploy forces to the site of a severe landslide in Hung Son commune, Da Nang. Here, a headwater area experienced a strong landslide, burying several farmhouses and leaving three residents suspected missing. Over 200 meters of road in this area were also cut off. Military units are directed to search for the missing, provide medical support, ensure personnel safety, and assist residents with recovery efforts immediately.

The directive further outlined inter-agency coordination for ongoing prevention and recovery. It instructs units to coordinate closely with local authorities to survey areas at risk of further landslides and relocate residents from dangerous zones. Efforts also focus on restoring transportation and ensuring uninterrupted communication. Engineering, Chemical, and Signal forces are tasked with reinforcing structures, clearing debris, environmental sanitation, and disease prevention.

Military Regions 4 and 5 have specific deadlines for housing repair and reconstruction. Military Region 4 and Military Region 5 are supporting residents in repairing damaged homes, with completion expected before 20/11. New construction and resettlement for households whose homes were swept away or completely collapsed must be finished before 31/1/2026. The directive emphasizes, "absolutely no resident should lack food, clothing, or clean water."

Preliminary statistics reveal the extensive scale of damage caused by the natural disasters. According to preliminary statistics, natural disasters from October until now in provinces from Ha Tinh to Dak Lak have resulted in 90 deaths and missing persons, and 273 injuries. The disasters destroyed or swept away 1,900 houses, and damaged or unroofed over 227,800 houses. Agricultural damage includes over 160,000 hectares of rice and crops, over 3,500 livestock, and 452,000 poultry. Nearly 700 boats and over 63,000 aquaculture cages were affected. Additionally, over 160 km of canals and nearly 65 km of riverbanks and coastlines suffered landslides, with 253 km of roads damaged. The total estimated damage exceeds VND 27,289 billion.

Vu Tuan