The year 2020 is perhaps “the worst year ever” in recent history with appearance of the Coronavirus COVID-19, which killed more than 1.6 million people worldwide.
In Vietnam, while the death toll caused the virus COVID-19 was not as high as many other countries (35), a high number of people have died from another cause: a series of natural disasters, so called “2020 Central Vietnam floods”. The 2020 Central Vietnam floods are a collection of ongoing floods in Central Vietnam in October and early November of 2020. The floods affected heavily in several provinces including Hue, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang tri, and Quang Ngai. To make the matter worse, many powerful typhoons, especially typhoon Vam Co (15/11) and typhoon Molave (28/10) were the worst typhoons that hit the central Vietnam in the last 2 decades. At least 1.5 million people have been affected by flooding and 235 people have died or are missing, according to the Vietnamese government.
Many overseas NGO’s and humanitarian organisations and local philanthropic groups quickly took actions to deliver aids to those who have been most affected by the catastrophic floods and storms.
AVCF, with the aim to provide free direct health services and humanitarian aid to those in need, especially those in disadvantaged and remote areas in Vietnam, has also urgently worked out a project “Towards Central Vietnam” to deliver practical aids within our ability to those poor people in the central Vietnam who were heavily affected by the natural disasters.
In a record short period, AVCF has organised a local group of health professionals (doctors and nurses) and volunteers, under the leadership of AVCF representative in Vietnam (Miss Thuy Trang Tan) as we were not able to travel.
On 21/11/2020 AVCF Volunteers arrived in Truong Xuan Commune, one of the poorest mountainous areas in Quang Binh Province that was heavily affected by both floods and typhoons. The AVCF volunteers, led by Thuy Trang in Vietnam and coordinated by Khanh Phuong in Australia, have conducted medical examinations and dispensed necessary medications for 305 people. In addition, the AVCF Volunteers also delivered 300 packages of books and school supplies for children, 200 aid packages of essential household utensils and foods to poor families and 200 packages of peanut seedlings.
Below is a short video clip showing the havocs caused by the flood and typhoons at Truong Xuan Commune area and some of the activities that AVCF have conducted.
On 11/12/2020, AVCF Volunteers arrived Na Ri commune, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. The condition of roads to the area is very poor, heavily damaged by the catastrophic floods. To further challenge our AVCF volunteers, the weather was very foggy. The whole team, doctors, pharmacist and volunteers, were served instant noodles upon arrival; yet all volunteers were very happy and worked with all their hearts.
Here, the AVCF medical team has examined 864 people and dispense necessary medications. There are a few complicated cases which we had to refer to a major hospital. We promised to the patients that we will financially aid them in treatment within our ability.
Our AVCF Volunteers in Vietnam also delivered 200 packages of books and school supplies for children, 295 aid packages of essential household utensils and foods to poor families and 295 packages of rice seedlings.
There were other organisations that came to this area before AVCF to provide emergency packages (such as rice, food, life jackets, etc..). But AVCF is the only team that provided medical examinations, which was greatly appreciated by the locals.