Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie on October 23 announced that Australia will provide AUD100,000 in immediate humanitarian support for relief efforts underway in response to severe flooding in central Vietnam.

Floods have left heavy consequences on Vietnam's central part. Photo: VnExpress

This humanitarian assistance will be delivered through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership. It will operate in tandem with Australia’s ongoing efforts to support Vietnam’s recovery from the global Covid-19 pandemic. This included the announcement of an immediate US$10.5 million package of assistance in June.

The region has been hit by consecutive tropical storms, prolonged heavy rain, severe and widespread flooding and landslides.

As of October 22, more than 178,000 households had been affected by flood waters, 362 schools had been damaged and there had been widespread destruction of agricultural land and resources. This adds to devastating loss of life, including members of heroic military rescue teams.

“When Australia experienced devastating bushfires last summer, we felt the outpouring of support from the government and people of Vietnam. Today we stand in solidarity with Vietnam, as you grieve for lost loved ones and heroic first responders. We will continue monitoring relief requirements as the extent of the impact comes to light,” said Ambassador Mudie.

Before Australia, a number of countries had announced relief aid for Vietnam to deal with consequences of the floods in the central region.