Dozens of foreign countries and organizations have extended their humanitarian support to Vietnam following havoc caused by severe floods in the country’s central region late October.

Disaster relief has helped thousands of people in need. Photo: Ta Van

The donations become priceless assistance to the country at a time when the natural disaster claimed more than 230 lives and caused damage worth roughly VND17 trillion (US$739 million).

UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) on November 5 announced an assistance of US$3 million to Vietnam for an urgent, life-saving humanitarian response.

Norway is among the top five donor countries to CERF with a contribution of US$825.6 million during 2006-2020 period and US$45.8 million in 2020 alone.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have announced supporting packages worth more than US$3 million.

The EU on October 28 announced an amount of EUR1.3 million (US$1.5 million) for Vietnam.

The US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink on October 17 announced an initial disaster relief fund worth US$100,000 for Vietnam. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced an additional US$2 million during his Vietnam visit last month. In total, the country has provided a donation worth US$2.1 million to Vietnam so far.

South Korea on October 22 pledged to provide US$300,000 worth of humanitarian assistance to Vietnam to help the country cope with the damage from severe floods triggered by week-long downpours.

The week-long floods inundate hundreds thousands of houses in central Vietnam. Photo: Zing

China’s Embassy in Vietnam on October 23 said the Chinese Red Cross would donate US$100,000 for Vietnam.

Australia has funded total AUD2.1 million (US$1.53 million) worth of disaster relief to help Vietnam respond to the impacts of prolonged floods and landslides in the central region.

The Embassy of Switzerland in Hanoi also announced grant of urgent aid worth CHF300,000 (US$333,000) to help address the immediate needs of 160,000 people focusing on housing, livelihoods, healthcare, water, and hygiene.

In a phone call to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc earlier this month, his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha, offered US$30,000 worth of relief to Vietnam.

The Netherlands has pledged EUR2 million (US$2.35 million) and the UK announced aid of GBP500,000 (US$649,100).

Vietnamese people living in Malaysia’s Johor and Vietnamese and Malaysian individuals and organizations in Malaysia have raised US$26,000 for affected people in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese communities in Poland, Swiss, Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, Czech, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Australia, and the US have donated total VND12 billion (US$522,000).

In October, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo conveyed a message on sharing losses with Vietnamese people.

Meanwhile, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has shared words of comfort with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Singaporean Vivian Balakrishnan, and Indonesia’s Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi sent condolences to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

In his visit to Hanoi in mid-October, Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said Japan decided to provide emergency relief to Vietnam.