Hundreds of people dead and more than half a million displaced as Vietnam pummelled by Typhoon Yagi

Severe, widespread flooding and landslides in northern Vietnam has left swathes of rural villages submerged in water and more than half a million families and children in need of humanitarian assistance.

HANOI, VIETNAM — More than 300 people in northern Vietnam have been reported dead or missing in the wake of Typhoon Yagi – the most severe storm to have hit Southeast Asia this year and the worst to have struck Vietnam in 30 years.

Child’s rights and humanitarian organisation Plan International has deployed teams to assess the extent of damage and immediate needs of families in areas hardest hit by the disaster.

At least 325 people are dead or missing and more than 800 people injured, with 27 of the 28 provinces in the country’s north still grappling with power outages and significant flooding one week since Yagi made landfall on the northern Vietnamese coastline.

An entire village was swept away by a landslide caused by flash flooding, killing more than 40 people, with at least 27 of those children and more than 50 still missing, according to local media.

Over 188,000 homes had been destroyed or inundated with water, according to the Government’s disaster agency, and approximately 752,500 people had been displaced from their homes. Parts of the capital Hanoi were evacuated, with the majority of schools still closed.

“Thousands of families have lost their entire livelihoods – homes, schools, infrastructure, crops, livestock. Many have lost beloved family members. People in northern Vietnam need our help, urgently,” said Pham Thu Ba, Acting Country Director of Plan International Vietnam

“We are very concerned about the possibility of more landslides, and the stress and trauma this disaster will have on children in particular.

“Our top priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of children, youth and families affected by this disaster.

“We are witnessing in real time the catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis. Warming oceans are creating deadlier storms, and it’s always the most vulnerable people who are disproportionately impacted; the people least responsible for causing climate change,” she said.

As an organisation dedicated to children, youth and their well-being, Plan International Vietnam is collaborating closely with the Vietnamese government and international organisations through the Disaster Management Working Group (DMWG), Education in Emergency, and WASH in Emergency to provide urgent assistance and support recovery efforts.

Alongside other NGOs and UN agencies, Plan International Vietnam is taking part in the Government’s Joint Needs Assessment and is focussed on delivering immediate, life-saving assistance to those in most urgent need, with a focus on ensuring children affected by the crisis are protected. This includes food, shelter, water, WASH assistance, women’s hygiene kits and pyscho-social support, across Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, Bac Giang, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen and Hanoi provinces.

Plan International Vietnam’s team in Hagiang is working closely with partners on situation analyses and needs assessments.

Plan International has been operating in Vietnam for more than 30 years and has well established links with youth groups and local communities.