By Vibhu Mishra
A massive disaster response has been launched in Viet Nam following widespread damage inflicted by Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit the South China Sea in almost three decades, the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported.
The storm made landfall on Saturday in the country’s north with wind speeds reaching 213 kilometres (133 miles) per hour, causing severe flooding and landslides, and forcing the evacuation of over 50,000 people.
As of Wednesday, at least 179 people are reported to have been killed, including children, according to media reports. Several hundred people have been injured and over 47,500 houses damaged or destroyed.
“The strength and intensity of the typhoon has left a trail of catastrophic consequences, with millions of families severely affected in coastal as well as mountainous and hard-to-reach areas,” the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a bulletin, issued late on Monday.
The agency estimates that 5.5 million children are among the 19 million people living in the most affected regions.
Coordinated response
In response, authorities have launched a comprehensive relief effort, deploying more than 438,000 officials, soldiers, disaster response experts and volunteers.
The Government has also invited the support of all disaster response and humanitarian actors, including UNICEF, to support the response.
UNICEF is actively coordinating with UN entities and partners to assess needs and provide urgent support in areas such as child protection, water and sanitation, nutrition, health, and education.
“A supply plan has been activated to mobilise pre-positioned essential supplies, at the national level and in warehouses across the region, and through [our] global supply division, if needed,” the agency added.
Damage caused by Typhoon Yagi in Cam Pha, a major port in Quang Ninh province, Viet Nam.
Path of devastation
Typhoon Yagi’s path of destruction also extended to neighbouring countries, with casualties and damage reported in the Philippines and China.
Twenty-one fatalities were recorded in the Philippines by the national disaster management authorities, with 26 people still missing as of Wednesday.
In China, media reported that four people were killed and about 100 injured across the Hainan Island in the south.
The combined effects of the monsoon and tropical disturbances also resulted in flash floods in northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand.
