In pictures: Typhoon-affected Vietnam

Kon Tum, Central Vietnam: Oxfam responded in Tu Mo Rong and Dak Glei – areas worst hit by Typhoon Ketsana. Many roads remain badly damaged causing delays to Oxfam's deliveries of emergency goods. But with a little determination, and a lot of hard work, rice and other essential goods got through... (October 2009)

Dak Ro Ong village [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

Oxfam started distributing rice in Dak Ro Ong village. Evidence of landslides caused by Typhoon Ketsana were obvious all the way from the broken bridge to this village.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

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Destroyed bridge [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

As we approached the village, we had to transfer the rice onto an amphibious army truck. Workers are still working on the bridge which was totally destroyed by the Typhoon.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Thao talks to the village heads [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

Oxfam staff member Thao worked with the village heads to agree on the distribution process.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

A villager volunteer is helping with the distribution [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

A villager volunteer helped with the distribution. Each Typhoon-affected villager was entitled to 15 kg of rice, enough to last them for the next one-and-a-half months.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

One villager places their fingerprint in our record book [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

After showing their identify papers, the villagers had to sign on two forms so Oxfam and a local official can keep record. Some villagers could not write, so they put their fingerprints on the form.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

30- year-old mother of two Y Phi [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

30-year-old mother of two Y Phi said she was very happy to get the rice. Her house was washed away together with 20 bags of rice – her family's savings from their last crop. Her family have been sharing a house with a relative since the Typhoon hit.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Villagers packing their rice [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

Villagers packed up their rice ready to take home. Some used their motorbikes...

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Villagers carry away the rice on their backs [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

... but most of them, mainly women, just carried the rice on their backs.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Rice paddy with the river eating away at it [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

The mid-afternoon light shone on the bright green of the paddy field next the the river. This field of the village was not totally destroyed by the Typhoon but the river is 'eating' into it.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Oxfam truck heads off to another village [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen ]

After delivering a second load of supplies – this time, dried fish, fish sauce, mosquito nets and blankets – the truck carried on to take rice and other goods to two more villages beyond Dak Ro Ong.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Full story: Blog and video (27 October 2009)

 

See photostory from right after the Typhoon hit (6 October 2009)

 

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