HANOI, November 10, 2017 – Today, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink announced over $1 million in emergency assistance and longer-term disaster risk reduction support to Vietnam to respond to the impacts of Typhoon Damrey and future disasters on behalf of the U.S. Government.

Typhoon Damrey made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday, November 4, 2017 with winds of up to 135 km/hour, 50 km south of Nha Trang (Khánh Hòa province), and became one of the worst storms to strike Vietnam’s southern coastal region in years. The typhoon brought torrential rains to the southern and central provinces. Affected areas have been heavily flooded and many communes have been isolated.

“With a grant of $250,000 in disaster relief funds, USAID will provide sanitation, health-related, and commodity relief items to the areas of Vietnam most affected by Typhoon Damrey,” said Ambassador Kritenbrink. “An additional disaster preparedness grant of $800,000 awarded last month to the Vietnam National Red Cross will benefit approximately 13,700 people directly and 30,000 people indirectly in three target provinces using a community-based approach to build capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters.”

Vietnam remains vulnerable to a host of weather-related risks and climate change impacts. Typhoon Damrey clearly demonstrated the importance of being prepared and able to effectively respond to disasters. Since 2000, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided more than $20 million to address emergency response needs and disaster risk management activities in Vietnam. Through the Department of Defense, the U.S. Government has also provided more than $28 million since 1998 to train military and civilian emergency responders and develop and equip disaster management centers, maritime response centers, and disaster shelters at the community level.