UNICEF provides water storage tanks to disaster-hit Cao Bằng Province

UNICEF representatives hand over water tanks to impoverished communes in Cao Bằng. — VNA/VNS Photo

CAO BẰNG — The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on September 17 handed over 456 plastic water storage tanks to seven impoverished districts in the northeastern mountainous province of Cao Bằng, one of the localities worst impacted by Typhoon Yagi and subsequent flooding and landslides.

As part of a project funded by the Japanese government to enhance disaster resilience and climate change adaptation for children, they are among the 850 tanks worth approximately VNĐ1.8 billion (US$72,977) allocated to Cao Bằng and the neighbouring province of Lạng Sơn.

The donation targets areas severely impacted by natural disasters and poor communities with a high ethnic minority population, with beneficiaries including households with limited access to clean water, those with small children, female-headed ones, and those of ethnic minorities, as well as schools and health centres.

Nguyễn Văn Tiến, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Việt Nam Disaster and Dike Management Authority, highlighted the severe damage caused by Typhoon Yagi to northern mountainous provinces. In response, the department and the ministry collaborated with UNICEF to aid affected communities in overcoming these challenges.

Maharajan Muthu, Head of UNICEF Việt Nam's Child Survival and Development Programme, stressed the ongoing cooperation between UNICEF and the ministry has contributed significantly to Việt Nam’s development work, sustainable new-style rural building, and natural disaster prevention and control.

He noted past efforts, including providing water tanks to drought-affected areas in the Mekong Delta in 2019-2020 and supplying water filtration systems to three provinces of Cà Mau, Sóc Trăng, and Bạc Liêu in 2023 to address drought and saltwater intrusion. This year, UNICEF will continue to provide support by procuring additional water tanks for disaster-prone regions.

As of September 16, Cao Bằng reported 55 fatalities, two missing persons, and widespread landslides and disrupted transport due to the impact of Typhoon Yagi. UNICEF’s timely assistance is expected to help residents store water for daily use in case of future disasters. — VNS