Emergency supplies being distributed to children and families in the central coastal provinces

12 October 2009: Plan teams are distributing emergency supplies to thousands of families who face months of food shortages after Typhoon Ketsana caused floods and landslides across Vietnam's central coastal provinces.

Ketsana killed more than 460 people when it tore through South-East Asia on 29 September - first hitting the Philippines before moving on to Vietnam and Cambodia.

In Vietnam 163 people died, 21,000 houses collapsed and at least 100,000 hectares of agricultural land were ruined. More than 10,900 sponsor children have been affected.

Plan action

Plan is on the ground providing food, shelter, temporary roofing and other vital supplies to children and their families in Quang Ngai, Quang Tri and Kon Tum provinces.

Please make a donation to support our emergency work in Vietnam.

Plan's country director in Vietnam, Mark Pierce, said: “Plan Vietnam has been supporting children, families and communities in the central provinces long before this emergency; we will support those in need during this emergency, and, we will remain committed to supporting needy communities long after this emergency has passed.”

Washed away

Mai (left) and her family where their house used to stand. They are now living in the makeshift shelter behind them.

Plan is currently helping families like Mai's, who live in one of the most seriously damaged communes in Quang Ngai province. Mai's house collapsed and all of her family's possessions - beds, chairs, tables, food and the money they had saved to pay for the children's education - were washed away.

“We don’t know when we can build our house again. We have to find enough food to survive first," said Mai. “The saving for our children to go to school is lost. They may have to stop going to school this year.”

In addition to providing emergency relief, Plan will be repairing schools and supplying teaching materials, toys and equipment so that children can return to school. Plan is also looking for financial help to support health care services and livelihoods, and to repair damaged roads and bridges. 

Donate to the Vietnam emergency appeal today.

Read about Plan's emergency work in the Philippines.