【Report Vol.4】Relief supplies were delivered to 2,800 isolated households in 2 districts of Quang Nam Province

From middle to late January, relief supplies including food and other daily necessities were delivered to 2,800 households in the Phuoc Son and Nam Tra My districts of Quang Nam Province as the second phase of emergency response activity to support typhoon victims.

These two districts were severely damaged by a series of typhoons that hit central Vietnam last year.
The roads in these districts have been cut off, and residents who required urgent assistance were so isolated that even local authorities could not reach out.
Because the beneficiaries of this activity were living in villages within deep mountainous areas, various obstacles were encountered during the delivery. Trucks carrying emergency supplies were broken several times, some roads were cut off that made us take a detour to reach the delivery location, and other challenges.
Nevertheless, Vietnam’s office staff didn’t give up and persevered to solve the problems, as many people were waiting for our support.

To ensure that relief supplies were delivered to as many people as possible

In order to ensure that information on the distribution of relief supplies was properly communicated even in a situation where local infrastructure is poor, we not only contacted local authorities at the communal level, but also sent tickets with delivery dates and lists of supplies in advance to the locals themselves.

The tickets were handed to district government officials four or five days before the delivery day. These tickets were then handed to the communes’ officials, and then finally to each villages’ officials. This ensured that all recipients in the distribution list received correct information about the distribution location and time in advance so all of them could come to receive relief supplies.

We asked only one person from one family to come to the venue at a different time so that they could avoid the “Three Cs” (Closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings). Each person was also handed a mask to protect them from Covid - 19.

In addition to sharing information about Covid-19 prevention to residents, we also implemented preventive measures such as setting up separate lines in order to avoid confusion while waiting.

Paying particular attention to relief supplies

During the delivery planning, we also paid close attention to the relief supplies which should be provided. Because the damage was so serious and widespread, there were many people whose houses was collapsed and had to stay at their relatives’ house. Therefore, in addition to food and daily necessities such as sticky rice and blankets, we also provided pots that could be used not only as cooking utensils but also as tableware.

Some residents had to walk hours away from their homes to the distribution venue in muddy roads. Residents who received relief supplies expressed their gratitude to us, "Thank you for coming to support us despite the poor rural accessibility here".

The Vietnamese New Year called "Tet", began on February 12.
Tet is the biggest festival in Vietnam and it is a custom for families to get together. Therefore, staff of the FIDR Vietnam office tried their best to distribute relief supplies before Tet started, in order to help people celebrate a warm New Year with their families – even in evacuation shelters.
We hope that the sticky rice and food that we distributed to the victims will help still be able to enjoy Tet despite enduring such an unfortunate disaster.

【Report Vol.3】Behind-The-Scenes Efforts to deliver relief supplies during the Covid-19 Pandemic

As reported earlier, when FIDR conducted emergency relief activities in December, our staff wasn’t able to enter some areas due to COVID-19 restrictions. Here is how we ensured the delivery of relief supplies to victims in Kon Tum Province despite these restrictions.

First, we took advantage of our local network that we had built up through our previous projects up to now. FIDR asked three former local staff members (who had been working with us in the Kon Tum Province Child Nutrition Improvement Project) for help. Despite other commitments, they generously adjusted their schedules so that they could help with the relief effort.

Then we planned for the distribution day. On December 4th, FIDR held an online meeting with local staff ahead of the deliveries on December 8th. We confirmed everyone’s schedules, responsibilities, and means of communication. Most importantly, we planned ahead in case of various complications and thought of back-up plans in case there was any trouble.

When the day finally came, local staff worked together with government officials to prepare supplies and set visible markers so that residents could maintain social distance while waiting. In fact, most residents had already arrived at the distribution hall by the start time. By the end, approximately 400 households received relief supplies.

Mr. Thanh, a former local staff member who distributed the supplies onsite, said, “we were able to carry everything out on the day smoothly because we had discussed so much beforehand. An elder who came up to receive some relief supplies thanked me and it made me feel so happy. I’d love to continue to support local people through FIDR.”

Mr. Truc, one of the government officials who was involved in the distribution told us, “FIDR is the first relief organization that helped us at such a rapid speed while implementing COVID-19 protective measures. Everything, from the preparation to the distribution, was organized and efficient. I really appreciate your support for Kon Tum Province.”

【Report Vol.2】News From Staff – Emergency Relief Efforts-

As mentioned in the first report, FIDR was able to deliver food and daily necessities to a total of 1,150 households including 300 households in the Nam Giang district and 400 households in the Tien Phuoc district of Quang Nam as well as 450 households in the Dak Glei district of Kon Tum. This report will explain the situation in more detail and what FIDR has done in the field.

Damage from the Typhoon:

Ensuring Emergency Supplies were delivered:

Precautions for Children and the Elderly:

Prevention of COVID-19:

Message from Local Staff:

After FIDR assessed the condition of each victim and provided the necessary relief goods, a local approached us and thanked us for our work. Although he was not on the list of distribution because the condition of his house was not severe, he still gave kind words that warmed our hearts throughout the day.
FIDR will continue to support the recovery of the typhoon victims!

【Report Vol.1】Delivered emergency relief supplies to 1,150 households

In Autumn 2020, Vietnam’s central region was battered by seven typhoons - three of which had the largest power in the last 20 years. The typhoons mainly impacted 10 districts, causing floods and landslides which swept away and destroyed much of the local infrastructure.
The Quang Nam and Kon Tum provinces – two of FIDR’s targeted project areas - also suffered from the typhoons, with 40,000 households in Quang Nam and 15,000 households in Kon Tum damaged.
At the 1st phase, from December 6th to 9th, we were able to distribute food and other daily necessities to a total of 1,150 households including 450 households in Dak Glei district of Kon Tum province as well as 400 households of Tien Phuoc district and 300 households of Nam Giang district of Quang Nam province.
FIDR staff distributed relief supplies rapidly while implementing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 such as using surgical masks, disinfecting with alcohol, and maintaining social distance. These efforts were highly appreciated by the local government.
As of January, there are still some districts that are inaccessible due to roads cut off from the landslides. From here on, we are planning to allocate materials for the construction of temporary houses together with other sanitary supplies within the aforementioned districts.