News Release: Aid Agency Staff Respond as Eye of Typhoon Sweeps Coastal Vietnam

Humanitarian  agency  staff  based in the path of massive typhoon Ketsana - which  is  now  sweeping  through  central  Vietnam - reported thousands of people have been evacuated to safety amidst reports of flooding.
World  Vision  has observed the evacuation of residents of coastal areas in Quang  Tri  province  to  safer  locations.   The  government has shut down
airports,  schools and power as part of its early warning procedures in the Danang area.
World  Vision staff have prepositioned relief supplies to assist those most impacted  by  the  storm.  Seven  hundred  families who were evacuated have
already  received  small  packs  of food assistance to see them through the disaster.
However,  there  are already reports of heavy rains and flooding, including among  World  Vision’s  own  staff.   The  humanitarian  agency operates 12
community-level  projects  working with more than 25,000 children and their families, within the storm path.  There are 90 staff in the area.
Mr   Le   Van  Duong  ,  World  Vision’s  Relief  and  Disaster  Mitigation Coordinator,  who  is  currently  based  in  Danang,  said  he  was already
witnessing heavy rains and winds.
“Danang  is  predicted  to  be in the eye of the storm. It’s very windy and trees  have  already  blown down,” he said. “We have seen the evacuation of
3,000  families  from  our project areas to safer places, including schools and we have already distributed noodle packs to 700 families.”
Danny  Selvanayagam,  National Director of World Vision Vietnam, said:  “We believe  the communities we work in are well prepared for disasters.  World
Vision  works  closely  with the government and local authorities to ensure that  those  in  the paths of storms receive early warnings through various
means, including radio, TV and community loud speakers. We feel that people were  made  well  aware of the approaching typhoon and World Vision is well geared up to respond to any suffering that may result.”
Some 200,000 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas to safer higher places,  including to school buildings and community centres.  The Ministry of  Defence is on standby for rescue and logistics.  INGOs are coordinating together to handle the response and the government has asked  the international  agencies  to be on standby.   The National Disaster Response team  has  also  been  deployed to Danang.  The storm is now a Category Two level storm with winds gusting up to 204km per hour.
World Vision Vietnam has a long history of conducting disaster preparedness activities  in  central Vietnam which is prone to monsoon floods, including
helping people to evacuate, running simulations and even helping people get to their rooftops for safety.
Staff  with  the  international agency are currently working to address the needs of thousands of survivors in Manila, the Philippines, after the storm
devastated  the  city.  Agency staff in Laos and Cambodia  are also keeping an eye on the storm.

Spokespeople:
Mr  Le  Van  Duong  –  Relief & Disaster Mitigation Coordinator – currently
based in Danang
Cell:  +84  904  16  2634    (Note:  please  be  patient when trying to get through. Due to power cuts there are no landline available.)

Ms Nguyen Kim Ngan – Communications Officer - based in Hanoi
Office: 84 4 394 39920 (Ext: 117)
Cell: 84 4 902 16 3379