The Prime Minister has decided to provide emergency housing assistance to people affected by flash floods and landslides.

On the morning of August 23, at the Government headquarters, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting with several ministries, agencies, and localities on emergency housing support for households affected by flash floods and landslides.

According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, flash floods, landslides, and mudslides in 2017 resulted in 71 deaths and missing persons; 4,109 houses collapsed, were destroyed, or swept away; and 13,246 households are living in unsafe areas at high risk of flash floods and landslides.

From the beginning of 2018 to the present, there have been 12 flash floods, landslides, and mudslides, resulting in 49 deaths, 14 missing persons, and 21 injuries, with estimated damages of nearly 1 trillion VND. Particularly, the flash floods and landslides from June 23-26 occurred over a wide area (several mountainous provinces in the North such as Lai Chau, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang...) causing 33 deaths and missing persons; estimated damages of approximately 762 billion VND.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are currently 5,592 households without housing or living in temporary shelters. More than 42,100 households are at high risk of flash floods and landslides and need to be relocated for safety. Besides housing support, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also proposes support for the pilot installation of flood and landslide monitoring and warning equipment in several high-risk locations in some localities.

Expressing his concern over the recent natural disasters in many regions, causing landslides and washing away houses, forcing people to live in tents and makeshift shelters, the Prime Minister said he had discussed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development about methods to support people with the spirit of "not letting people be left homeless," given the vast affected area and limited funds. The Prime Minister requested that delegates focus their discussions on measures to provide housing for people affected by flash floods, landslides, and mudslides, as well as long-term, fundamental solutions.

Speaking at the meeting, local representatives stated that in recent years, natural disasters have become increasingly extreme and severe. For example, a representative from Son La province noted that while landslides previously only affected the surface layer of mountains, now entire mountains collapse. Recently, the province had to evacuate three villages overnight because otherwise, approximately 2,000 people would have died due to a mountain collapse.

Regarding support, local authorities suggested ensuring fairness and targeting the right beneficiaries based on the extent of damage (total or partial loss). They emphasized the need for support in infrastructure development, as the lack of roads makes it impossible to transport building materials. Even though it's only a subsidy, it should ensure that people can have sturdy houses, rather than continuing to live in temporary shelters. Furthermore, a monitoring mechanism is needed to prevent people from using housing funds to buy motorbikes instead.

Some have suggested the need for more detailed landslide warning maps to identify safe residential areas, as there have been cases where people have had to relocate multiple times because their new homes were also unsafe.

Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister stated that, in the immediate future, the focus should be on assisting the 5,592 households currently without housing or living in temporary shelters, in order to quickly address the situation of people living "under the open sky."

The Prime Minister requested that the issue be resolved by integrating the housing into existing residential areas. Support must be accurate, targeted, timely, and mobilize resources in addition to state resources, while also considering the long-term future. Along with providing housing, attention must be paid to how people will live in those houses, how they will manage their production land to stabilize their lives, and infrastructure such as transportation, education, and healthcare for their children.

"This task is assigned to the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of the provinces, who are responsible for organizing its implementation. It must be done urgently, immediately, accurately, and they will be accountable to the Prime Minister," the Prime Minister stated clearly. Strict management and anti-corruption measures are necessary.

Regarding the level of support, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to propose a suitable balance between housing and infrastructure support, based on the principles of fairness and transparency, and to submit it to the Prime Minister for decision as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is urgently submitting to the Prime Minister a comprehensive project for the emergency relocation of residents from disaster-stricken areas, with phased investment.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, proposed contingency funds in the medium-term investment plan to provide emergency funding for areas requiring relocation under the project.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will lead and coordinate with localities to create maps of natural disaster risk zones, including flash floods and landslides. The Ministry of Construction will coordinate with localities, ministries, and sectors to review the planning of residential areas.

The Prime Minister instructed the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, Planning and Investment, and Finance to propose resources for the establishment of a National Disaster Prevention Fund.

With the current rainy season and floods underway, the Prime Minister urged ministries, sectors, and localities to proactively develop plans and uphold their responsibilities in disaster prevention and control, "paying attention to how to manage reservoirs and dams, hydropower and irrigation projects, dikes and embankments, and how to evacuate people in the event of a major storm," especially regarding the regulations for operating interconnected reservoirs.