VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Sunday decided to deduct VND85bil (US$5.3mil) from the Central Budget Reserve 2007 to provide for seven flood-stricken provinces.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung and other officials hand out food aid to flood victims in Chau Hoa Commune in the central province of Quang Binh's Chau Hoa District.

The sum will go to the central provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh and the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum.

The money will be spent on repairing houses, preventing diseases, cleaning up wreckage and quickly recovering the local people's lives and businesses.

In addition, the Government also provided 30,000 tonnes of rice for Ha Tinh and Quang Binh as emergency aid relief.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) in conjunction with relevant organisations to assess the hunger situation in areas hard hit by recent floods and storms.

MOLISA and the Ministry of Finance have been assigned to determine the amount of emergency aid relief needed in each locality and submit their findings to the Prime Minister for approval.

During his tour of Quang Binh on August 10 and 11 to inspect post-flood support services, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung requested the Ministry of Health work with provincial authorities to check on local medicine stocks and distribute medical supplies to stem possible epidemics in localities marooned by floods.

Hung also asked provincial authorities to concentrate on helping local people resume their normal lives.

In a sad state

During the trip, Hung visited a family that had lost three members to floods in Chau Hoa Commune. By early morning on Saturday, flooding in Quang Binh had killed 16 and injured six others.

In addition, thousands of house-holds in the flood-prone areas of Quang Binh are picking up the pieces after floods destroyed much of their property.

The provincial authority provided flood victims with more than 2 tonnes of instant noodles, 3 tonnes of dried food, 500 bottles of mineral water and medical supplies.

Also, VND1.5bil has been supplied for the districts of Quang Trach, Tuyen Hoa and Minh Hoa to buy rice for those facing hunger in flood-stricken areas.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, provincial authorities have provided aid relief to hundreds of families with members who've died or sustained injuries from the floods.

The Ha Tinh Red Cross has supplied more than 200 boxes of instant noodles, 50 boxes of dried food and hundreds of clothing items to the districts of Huong Khe and Vu Quang.

The Viet Nam Red Cross also sent VND16mil and 200 boxes of goods worth nearly VND70mil to flood victims in the districts of Huong Khe, Ky Anh and Vu Quang.

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong toured to inspect post-flood support efforts in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. She visited homes and expressed her sympathy with the losses of flood victims in the districts of Cu Mgar, KrongPak and Ea kar.

Dak Lak was hit hard by the flash flood, with 21 found dead or reported missing.

Phong praised Dak Lak's efforts in overcoming the consequence of the flood and asked the local Party and administration to focus on cleaning flood-stricken areas to prevent diseases and hunger.

Aid floods in

The people of Hanoi have contributed more than VND1.5bil for their countrymen in the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Dak Lak.

HCM City collected more than VND3.5bil from companies and enterprises in support of flood victims. Earlier, the municipal Fatherland Front sent VND600mil as emergency relief for flood victims in Quang Binh, Dak Lak, Ha Tinh, Lam Dong and Kon Tum provinces.

Contributions from around the country are continuing to reach flood victims in the central and the Central Highlands provinces.

North-south railway reopens

The north-south railway resumed operation yesterday afternoon after flood damage was repaired, said director of the Viet Nam Railway Corporation Nguyen Huu Bang.

Operations remain limited, Bang says, as the flood damage was severe and complete repairs require more time. Deputy head of the Ha Noi Station Phung Thi Ly said that last night three trains had left for HCM City and three others departed from HCM City heading for Hanoi. Six other trains are also scheduled to run today, Ly said.

Trains are allowed to run at speeds of 5-7km on the rail that has been under reconstruction, according to the Viet Nam Railway Corporation.

The corporation said it had lost about VND6bil because of Tropical Storm No 2.

(Source: Viet Nam News)