"We commend the Government of Viet Nam for their quick emergency response to the disaster," said ADB Country Director for Vietnam Andrew Jeffries in a press release on Monday.

The grant will augment the wider government response to deliver immediate, life-saving assistance to people who need it the most, especially people who were already experiencing adverse economic impacts due to the covid-19 pandemic.

The non-refundable aid is funded by the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, which was designed to provide support to ADB’s developing members affected by major natural disasters.

Since October 6, the central region of Viet Nam has experienced prolonged and heavy rains, storm surge, and strong winds, leading to severe flooding and landslides. As of October 29, 214 people have been killed or reported missing, according to the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority.

About 7.7 million Vietnamese live in the areas damaged by the flooding. That includes 1.5 million people in nine central provinces who were directly affected and about 380,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed./.