South Korea provides $300,000 for central Vietnam disaster relief

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said loss of property in the area has been enormous, and it hoped the humanitarian aid package would help provide evacuees with support in time.

The central region has been swept by historic flooding and deadly landslides that caused damage described by government officials as the "worst in five years."

At least 117 people have been killed and more than 170,000 houses in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces have been submerged.

The Vietnamese government on Thursday decided to grant VND500 billion ($21.52 million) to Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam provinces as efforts to help local communities overcome flooding consequences.

The U.S. last Saturday also pledged to give Vietnam $100,000 for addressing the needs of vulnerable communities in areas most affected by floods and stormy weather in the central region.

Several international organizations too have pledged assistance in cash and kind.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency said it would provide Thua Thien-Hue Province with 50 water purifiers and 250 plastic sheets.

The intergovernmental ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Center) has donated 1,000 shelter repair kits and 1,300 kitchen sets, while the United Nations Development Program and Save the Children Vietnam have each pledged or mobilized $100,000.