The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered urgent relief supplies, including one million water purification tablets and 500 water containers, to northern Vietnam that has been severely impacted by landslides, flash floods, and heavy inundation induced by typhoon Yagi.

The donation is aimed at protecting the health of hundreds of thousands of people across northern Vietnam following the tragic devastation of typhoon Yagi, WHO said in its news release on Friday.

“We are deeply saddened that the death toll continues to rise and that many people remain at risk,” said WHO Representative in Vietnam Dr Angela Pratt.

In support of the Vietnamese government’s response to the destructive typhoon, WHO on Thursday swiftly handed over the supplies to the Ministry of Health, which will oversee their distribution to the hardest-hit areas.

The assistance will provide 15 million liters of purified water – for safe household drinking and use in health care facilities in the eight most affected provinces such as Bac Giang, Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, and Yen Bai.

“Clean water is critical to help prevent food and waterborne disease, and for maintaining safe care and operations at health care facilities, whether it is for people injured in the typhoon and or those needing urgent routine health care,” Dr Pratt said.

“WHO is working closely with the government and committed to providing ongoing support for the response and recovery in any way we can,” she added.

The World Health Organization’s assistance will provide 15 million liters of clean water for households and healthcare facilities in the eight most affected provinces in northern Vietnam. Photo: World Health Organization

Duong Duc Thien, chief of Cabinet Office of the Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control and Rescue at the Ministry of Health, said that the devastation of typhoon Yagi prompted the health ministry to request for international assistance.

“We are grateful to have the support of trusted partners like WHO to aid our immediate response and longer-term recovery work,” Thien said.

WHO has joined other United Nations agencies on joint assessment teams deployed in coordination with the Vietnamese government to understand the extent of damage, assess needs and ensure targeted assistance is made available. 

WHO is also working closely with local and national authorities to monitor and make best efforts to prevent food and waterborne diseases, and other infectious diseases, over the coming weeks and months, and will continue to support the government of Vietnam in mobilizing any additional resources needed.

In addition, with support from USAID, WHO is working with government partners to broadcast safety messages in several ethnic minority languages through local radio and community loudspeakers to help ensure ethnic minority communities, especially in more remote areas, receive important health safety information.

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