Providing Food for Flood Victims in Vietnam

Heavy rains caused significant flooding and landslides in the Yen Bai province of northern Vietnam late May, claiming three lives and crippling rural communities. The disaster caused significant damage to infrastructure, paralysed transportation, and inundated dozens of homes. The Yen Bai province saw over 350 acres of rice fields, vegetable gardens, and fish ponds swept away. Without local agriculture production, these isolated communities now face hunger.

In the wake of these violent floods, Samaritan’s Purse is working in Yen Bai to provide vital food aid. Our teams have distributed 173 bags of rice to families across the region. These 120-pound bags will last each family roughly two months, helping them through the difficult days ahead.

Food to Survive

Linh* suffered great loss from the violent floods that hit her region May 31. For years, she and her family cultivated nearly a half mile of rice fields for food and income. However, the floods wiped out her entire crop, leaving the family of five with nothing to eat and Linh with no way to provide for her family.

“We don’t know how to continue our lives,” the 70-year-old mother and grandmother lamented. The family was forced to forage the hillside for leaves and small vegetables to consume.

When she saw Samaritan’s Purse staff arrive with food aid, however, she was overcome with gratitude.

“This gift means so much to me,” Linh said. “I wanted to cry.”

The recent storms have only exacerbated the food insecurity and poverty in the Yen Bai province. The population, comprised of vulnerable ethnic minority groups, heavily relies on agriculture for income and food.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich, a local Samaritan’s Purse partner, highlighted the importance of these resources for the community. “Many families don’t have to worry about their daily meals [now] and in two months they can start a new harvest season so they can stabilise their life,” she said.

Pray for the many families uprooted by the violent floods in Vietnam and for the Samaritan’s Purse staff as they serve those in need.