On 12 September, the World Health Organization (WHO) donated one million water purification tablets to protect the health of hundreds of thousands of people across northern Viet Nam following the tragic devastation of Typhoon Yagi.
With extremely strong winds, heavy rain, floods and landslides affecting millions of people in northern provinces, at least 325 people have been killed or are missing, with hundreds of people injured and thousands displaced. The typhoon also damaged 130,000 homes and hundreds of health-care facilities.
In many places, the storm has also disrupted essential water supplies to households and health care facilities, with floods, landslides, strong winds and falling trees damaging water and electricity infrastructure that could take weeks or even longer to be repaired.
WHO Team and Mr Duong Duc Thien, Ministry of Health, during the handover of the emergency supply - Photo credit: WHO / My Pham
WHO Representative in Viet Nam Dr Angela Pratt said, “We are deeply saddened that the death toll continues to rise and that many people remain at risk.
“As part of WHO’s support to the Government’s response, we handed over an emergency supply of one million water purification tablets and 500 water containers to the Ministry of Health yesterday which are expected to arrive in needed areas today.
“This will provide as much as 15 million litres of purified water – for safe household drinking and use in health care facilities in the eight hardest-hit provinces in the coming days and weeks: 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.
Chief of Cabinet Office of the Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control and Rescue of the Ministry of Health Mr Duong Duc Thien said, “Typhoon Yagi has been so destructive that the Ministry of Health has issued an official request for international support. We are grateful to have the support of trusted partners like WHO to aid our immediate response and longer-term recovery work.”
WHO has joined other United Nations agencies on joint assessment teams deployed in coordination with the 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 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.
“WHO is working closely with the Government and committed to providing ongoing support for the response and recovery in any way we can,” Dr Pratt said.