On 28/11, the Ministry of National Defense issued an official dispatch instructing the General Staff to mobilize maximum forces for flood recovery efforts. These efforts include organizing the construction and repair of homes to help residents stabilize their living situations quickly. Following a historic flood, thousands of homes sustained heavy damage, and hundreds of households completely lost their residences. Many schools, medical stations, and hospitals remain non-operational.

Military Region 5 and Military Region 7 are tasked with directing provincial military commands to survey the number of collapsed, destroyed, or swept-away homes requiring new construction. They will also compile statistics on severely damaged homes for repair. Armed forces in the affected areas are mobilizing equipment and labor to complete the construction and repair of homes for residents before Lunar New Year 2026.

Nguyen Van Bo, residing in My Trung village, Hoa Thinh commune (formerly Phu Yen, now Dak Lak), stands in his collapsed home after floodwaters receded. Photo: Thanh Tung

The military's support operations are taking place as Typhoon Koto continues to develop in the East Sea. According to a report from the National Steering Committee for Civil Defense, Typhoon Koto is approximately 190 km northwest of Song Tu Tay island, with winds of force 10, gusts of force 13, and is moving southwest.

Military forces, border guards, coast guard, and local authorities are maintaining strict watch. They are inspecting and guiding over 48,000 vessels with 246,000 sea workers to move away from dangerous areas.

The response force for Typhoon Koto includes over 150,000 officers and soldiers and over 5,400 vehicles, ready for search and rescue operations. Flood recovery efforts continue concurrently, with tens of thousands of military personnel and militia participating in environmental sanitation, disinfection, clearing traffic routes, repairing schools and medical stations, and delivering essential supplies to residents in heavily affected provinces.

One day prior, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent an official dispatch to the chairpersons of four provinces: Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai, and Lam Dong. The dispatch requested them to inventory the number of collapsed, destroyed, and damaged homes, report the total necessary funds, their ability to self-balance, and the amount requested from the Central Government for support. The Minister of Finance will propose a plan for using the Central Government budget for reconstruction, aiming for all households to have housing before Lunar New Year 2026.

The historic flood in the South Central Coast caused 98 deaths and 10 disappearances. Dak Lak reported 63 deaths, Khanh Hoa 22, Lam Dong 5, Gia Lai 3, Hue and Da Nang two each, and Quang Tri one. Among the 10 missing individuals, 8 were from Dak Lak and two from Da Nang. Approximately 426 homes collapsed, primarily in Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Khanh Hoa, and nearly 2,100 homes were damaged.

Hoang Phuong