Vietnam suffers its worst flooding in 45 years by Penny Tranter
Floodwaters are finally beginning to recede across parts of Vietnam, after the country suffered its worst flooding in over 40 years. Last week Typhoon Lekima lashed much of the region with strong winds and heavy rain, causing landslides and widespread flooding. Despite the water levels of many rivers dropping over the past two days, as the rains ease, many villages still remain submerged underwater.
The worst affected areas were northern and central provinces where in one district over a third of the population, some 55,000 people were evacuated. More than 60 people died as a result of the floods, which destroyed over 100,000 homes. Since the rains subsided over the weekend, emergency workers have been travelling to the flood stricken areas to deliver food and medicines to those people still stranded; “people are telling us they have not seen flooding like this in a generation” said one member of the Red Cross.
Vietnam is no stranger to storms and typhoons, with the country being hit by an average of ten each year. With more than 100,000 homes still inundated by the floodwaters, and many people unable to be reached by the aid workers; the clean up operation remains far from over
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