Members of a team of Swiss experts sent to Vietnam to help typhoon Yagi-hit residents ride out the hardship were impressed by the Vietnamese victims’ optimistic behaviors and dogged perseverance.

“Vietnamese people are very friendly, organizational, and willing to support each other. They maintain their positivity despite the tragedy,” Beat Herger, the leader of the team said.

“How wonderful!” 

After typhoon Yagi, the third storm to hit Vietnam this year, made landfall in the northern region in early September, taking a heavy toll on many localities, the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development announced on September 12 that it would dispatch a team of experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit to Vietnam, and provide the Southeast Asian nation with some US$1.2 million to help affected residents overcome the difficulties.

The experts quickly arrived in Yen Bai Province, one of the northern regions most severely impacted by the super typhoon.

This is the only international group to have supported the locality in the wake of Yagi.

Switzerland offers long-term support to Vietnam

Herger told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that when they start a mission in a nation ravaged by a disaster, they always feel it is difficult.

However, he was surprised by Vietnamese people’s friendliness and resilience.

“When we arrived in an area in Yen Bai Province, residents initially felt a little bit perturbed as they did not know who we were," he recounted.

“However, after the Swiss team rolled up our sleeves and helped residents tackle the disarray, they enthusiastically collaborated with us.

“We have been working to clean wells and restore water resources. Also, we are supporting the local authorities in road clearing so roads to remote areas can be reopened. 

“The traffic will soon be back to normal in the area.

“Some of the equipment we brought in from Switzerland was not only used for this crisis, but also it might be used at a later time for other disasters.

“Switzerland is a nation with several hills. With our experience, we are discussing medium- and long-term support for Vietnam."

Accordingly, the team will draw a map of dangerous locations and set up a system of warnings against potential storms.

Hans-Ruedi Hochuli, an expert of the team, said that many locals had been relocated due to a high risk of landslides.

Yen Bai Province has hilly terrain, with multiple houses built near hills, so after landslides, it will take much time, even one year, to clear roads full of rocks to ensure safety for residents to restart their daily life.

Vietnamese people’s resilience shines in the face of adversity

“Among team members, Hans-Ruedi and I are the most experienced in post-disaster support,” said Herger.

“We came to many disaster-hit areas, and this time, we are giving support to Vietnam, a faraway nation with differences in culture and language, affected by floods."

He shared that apart from identifying necessary things they must do to help victims, the team has cooperated with local authorities to fulfill their mission.

During the mission, he was most impressed by residents’ optimistic faces.

“My most memorable thing is residents’ smiles in spite of the hardship and destruction caused by the natural disaster,” Herger said. “What brought us to the place is Vietnamese people."

“I watched a woman trying to ride through a road hit by a landslide,” Hochuli said.

“Vietnamese people are courageous and resilient, and they are striving to return to normal life as soon as possible.

“They quickly pulled themselves together to overcome the hardship, which impressed me a lot.

“We are pleased to contribute our part to helping them return to normal life."

Switzerland’s aid for Yagi relief efforts

The Swiss team, consisting of experts in clean water, environmental sanitation, disaster risk reduction, and livelihoods, has assisted Vietnam in assessing emergency needs and proposed a range of short- and medium-term solutions for post-disaster recovery, according to the Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam.

The team gave Yen Bai Province 16 sets of tools for well cleaning, and hired nine excavators and trucks operating in two weeks to clear roads, as well as help 50,000 people access necessary services.

In addition, the team worked with local authorities on donating $142 to each of 621 affected households in the province monthly in the next three months.

After the typhoon’s arrival in Vietnam, Switzerland sent relief supplies to the Southeast Asian country, including 300 family tents, five big multifunctional tents, and two water distribution systems capable of serving 10,000 people. These supplies were handed over to Yen Bai Province on September 17.

Ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam Thomas Gass and the expert team on Friday worked with Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan.

Minister Hoan expressed his gratitude to Switzerland for sending these experts to Vietnam to help the nation overcome the hardship.

Nguyen The Phuoc, vice-chairman of the Yen Bai People’s Committee, said that the third storm left 54 people dead and 42 others injured, while destroying over 7,000 hectares of crop cultivation in the province.

The disaster also disrupted power and telecom supplies and damaged traffic infrastructure.

“Thanks to the support from the Vietnamese government, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and organizations, including the Swiss one, Yen Bai Province has been recovering after the typhoon," Phuoc said.

"After two weeks of search efforts, we located the final victim of the disaster two days ago.

"All residents evacuated due to landslides and floods have been safely relocated. The province plans to build 1,400 houses for the affected households.

"We are committed to using and distributing Switzerland's aid effectively to those in need."

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!