In pictures: Typhoon-affected Vietnam

Kon Tum, Central Vietnam: One week after Typhoon Ketsana, many villages are still isolated or hard to access. Landslides are a new threat to typhoon-affected villages. (6 October 2009)

Destroyed forest debris washes down the river near Kon Tum, Vietnam [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

On the way from Kon Tum town to Tu Mo Rong district, destroyed forest debris washes down the river, blocking nearly a mile along Yaly ford.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

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Soldiers unload emergency packs of noodles [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

The new threat now for hundreds of isolated villagers in Ngok Yeu commune of Tu Mo Rong is landslides. The province leaders decided an immediate evacuation plan for four villages of which three are still difficult to get to.

 

All of these villages and many other areas can only be accessed by foot. The army was sent to the worst affected areas with instant noodles instead of rice so they can move faster to help with the evacuation.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Collapsed road [Photo credit: GNguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

This part of the road is completely covered by tons and tons of soil and debris, making access to the villages extremely difficult.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Soldiers marching to a village with supplies [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

Solders march slowly through the mountains because of the bad road conditions. It took them almost eight hours to trek about 10km to the village. They then had to camp there for the night.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

A group of villagers cooking breakfast [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

The next morning, some villagers are warming up by the breakfast fire by where they have been sleeping for the past few nights. They prefer this flat open ground to their homes as they are scared of landslides.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

90 year old A Khe looks out from a shelter [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

90 year old A Khe is still in shock after losing his son, daughter-in-law and their child to a landslide on the night of 28 September. "I've never seen any disaster like this in my whole life," said Khe.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

A group of children smile for the camera [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

Children still find a place to play. But the head of the village said the whole village was too scared to sleep after the landslides following the Typhoon Ketsana. Most of them gathered and stood in the rain here. Those that stayed in their homes stayed up all night long, ready to run if there was another landslide.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Cracks in the road are marked by sticks [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

More and more cracks are found all over. On the main path, local villagers started to mark them with sticks to warn and monitor.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Soldiers help dismantle a home [Photo credit: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen]

Solders are helping villagers to take down houses ready for the evacuation, but finding safe ground for them to move to is difficult in this remote mountainous area.

 

20 solders then stay in Tam Rim village to help with the evacuation here, while the rest continue on further to try to reach more remote villages.

 

Photo: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen

 

Oxfam staff talk to people waiting for supplies [Photo credit: Glenn Maboloc and Gil Arevalo/Oxfam]

A new bridge is being built to ease the access beyond Tam Rim.

 

Full story: East Asia Disasters Appeal

 

Photo: Do Ngoc Xiem

 

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