Flood-hit communities receive more relief supplies

Savannakhet province: Government officials led by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Sonexay Siphandone on Wednesday delivered emergency supplies worth over 161 million kip to communities in Xonbouly district that suffered in the recent floods.
Dr Sonexay, who is Chairman of the National Ad Hoc Committee in charge of post-disaster response, and his associates delivered the relief aid on behalf of the government.
The items had been collected through public donations and were worth 161,400,000 kip. They included rice, drinking water, clothing, noodles, and shoes for adults and children.

Dr Sonexay and his team met local authorities and people living in Kongpathoumvan village. A total of 48 villages in the district were flooded to varying degrees, causing suffering to 34,478 people in 7,009 families.
The Governor of Xonbouly district, Mr Souvilay Luangxalath, told visiting media “Some 16 villages were badly flooded. Sixteen houses and 2,545 rice barns that contained 509 tonnes of unhusked rice were damaged. We calculate that 8,250 hectares of rice worth over 15 billion kip were damaged.”
At the height of the floods, government officials, businesses and people from various provinces rushed essential supplies to the district, mostly rice and drinking water and other items worth over 1.7 billion kip, as well as 146 million kip in cash. But people need more rice, drinking water and crop seeds, Mr Souvilay said.
Ms Keo, 50, a resident of Khokhuaxang village, said people had received rice, drinking water, noodles and household utensils but now needed more rice and drinking water.
Another village resident, Mr Souy, 75, said “I had 2.5 hectares of rice but the whole crop was inundated. Now I need seeds so I can grow more rice and other crops to replace what I lost and also to grow dry season rice.”
Meanwhile, Champhone district also needs rice, drinking water and crop seeds so people can plant rice, sweetcorn and other vegetables and have enough to eat in the dry season, according to district Governor Mr Khamlouy Yattivong.
The Deputy Governor of Savannakhet province, Mr Khamphoun Touphaithoun, said the total flood damage, which affected households, agriculture, transport, industry and commerce, health, education and electricity supply, was estimated at over 386 billion kip.
Some 178 villages in 11 districts of the province, involving 17,159 families of 103,184 people, were affected. Four people died in the floods.
The general public has donated essential items worth over one billion kip for distribution to families in need. This does not include assistance provided through the National Disaster Prevention and Control Committee under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
It is estimated that Savannakhet province needs 138 billion kip to rehabilitate every sector that suffered damage. The province needs at least 4,952,832 kg (over 4,952 tonnes) of rice a month over the next three months.

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update October 4, 2019)