Russia's Putin pledges $5 million in humanitarian aid for Vietnam following Typhoon Damrey

By Trong Giap   November 7, 2017 | 06:08 pm PT
The typhoon has killed at least 89 people and devastated central Vietnam.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government to render humanitarian assistance to Vietnam, the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday.

The instruction came following Putin's discussion with the Russian prime minister, emergencies minister and finance minister regarding the situation in Vietnam, which was devastated by Typhoon Damrey last weekend.

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Typhoon Damrey has caused great loss of life and damage to property in central Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc.

An Il-76 aircraft is already preparing to leave for Vietnam with humanitarian aid, and Putin has issued instructions to provide $5 million in financial assistance to the Southeast Asian country.

The Russian president also expressed his hope that other countries attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Vietnam this week will also show solidarity with the Vietnamese people, the Kremlin said.

Typhoon Damrey, which made landfall in central Vietnam last Saturday, and the subsequent floods and landslides have killed at least 89 people, while 18 others are still missing. It has also destroyed more than 1,300 houses, damaged nearly 115,000 houses and sunk or damaged nearly 1,300 fishing boats.

Da Nang, which will host Putin and other world leaders attending the APEC Summit including U.S. President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping, was spared from the worst of the damage. However, heavy rain has still flooded nearly 11,000 houses in Hoa Vang District, forcing more than 300 households to evacuate and causing around VND44 billion ($1.94 million) in damage.

 
 
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