Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to provide VND500 billion (more than US$23 million) from the State budget reserve as immediate relief aid for five Central localities heavily affected by devastating flooding. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits flood-hit areas in the central
province of Quang Binh, October 24, 2020 - Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu 

These five provinces are Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Ha Tinh. Each localities will receive VND100 billion. 

The funding will be used for carrying out search and rescue tasks, ensuring social security and overcoming consequences caused by floods. 

The Government chief asked authorities of these localities to appropriately use the relief aid, the local budget and other financial sources to help affected locals. 

Earlier, PM Phuc had ordered the Ministry of Finance to take 4,000 tons of rice from the national reserve to support flood victims in the central region.

Specifically, four central regions including Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, and Quang Nam would receive 1,000 tons of rice each.

The Central Steering Committee for National Disaster Prevention and Control reported that 111 people were killed and 22 others went missing due to flooding and landslides in Central Viet Nam.

Nearly 124,570 houses were submerged in floodwaters in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.

Besides, 371 hectares of rice and over 7,120 hectares of other crops were flooded and damaged, while the severe floods killed over 691,100 cattle and poultry.