A helping hand after unprecedented flooding in Vietnam

Above: Ms. Tam, Mr. An and Thanh in their house after recovering from the flooding. Photo: Save the Children Vietnam

"I was so scared at the time. The water rose so quickly, and I was terrified that our house would be completely submerged," recalled Thanh, 13, as she reflected on the harrowing days when the tail of Typhoon Yagi caused unprecedented heavy rains in northern Vietnam.

Yen Bai Province, where Thanh lives with her grandmother and father, was among the hardest-hit areas.

“My mom and daughter managed to get outside, but I couldn’t move on my own, so I climbed upstairs,” said Mr. An, Thanh's father, who has a mobility disability. On the night the floodwater rose, he was unable to evacuate.

Fortunately, the family’s neighbours, aware of their situation, came to their rescue in time. They helped bring Mr. An to a safe shelter at a neighbour’s house and assisted the family in moving their belongings to higher ground. At the shelter, dozens of other families received emergency aid such as food and drinking water provided by the local government. After four days, when the waters receded, the families returned home.

“The floodwaters rose and completely inundated the first floor. When we came back, it was a real mess. Everything was buried in mud, and we spent days cleaning up,” shared Thanh’s grandmother, Ms. Tam, 75. Although the family was temporarily safe, many of their belongings were either washed away or so soaked in mud that they were damaged beyond repair.

"My son had an accident and has been unable to work for the past three years. Our family’s income relies entirely on the government support I receive for my late husband, which is only about $33 per month," Ms. Tam said.

As a poor household with no working members, life for the three-person family was already challenging, and the disaster made things even more difficult. Thanh faced the risk of her education being disrupted because her school supplies were washed away.

Above: Ms. Tam points to the height that the floods reached on the first floor of her home. Photo: Save the Children Vietnam

It was at this critical moment that Ms. Tam was contacted by the Yen Bai Provincial Red Cross and informed about a humanitarian cash support program. Shortly after, a staff member from the commune authority came to their home to verify their situation and guide them through the process. A few days later, Ms. Tam received cash assistance directly via a secure in-person distribution, where beneficiaries were invited to the local commune office to receive envelopes containing the support amount and to sign confirmation.

This assistance was part of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership-funded response to the Typhoon, implemented by Save the Children in collaboration with partners and local authorities. The program prioritised families in severely affected areas, particularly those with children, people with disabilities, and elderly members.

“The support we received has allowed us to repair some items in the house. Most importantly, we were able to buy new school supplies, books, and uniforms for my granddaughter so she can continue her studies," Ms. Tam said with joy.

“Even though the amount wasn’t large, it came at the right time. Without it, I don’t know how we would have managed.”

In the emergency response phase, with funding from AHP and others, Save the Children collaborated with provincial partners and local authorities to provide multi-purpose cash assistance for affected households in Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Son La provinces. In Yen Bai province, 1,352 households benefited.

With this support, the affected households met their essential living needs in a short period. In the recovery phase planned for 2025, interventions will focus on restoring children's learning conditions through teaching and learning equipment, repairing water and sanitation facilities, and building capacity for teachers and students in 12 schools in Yen Bai Province on disaster preparedness and risk reduction.