Hanoi, 24/09/2024 – The Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, one of the fastest tools for responding to humanitarian emergencies, has allocated 2 million dollars to Vietnam, hit last September by Typhoon Yagi, one of the most violent to hit Southeast Asia in the past thirty years. The Fund is supported by the international donor community and managed by OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The contribution of 15 million euros (Resolution VM n.29 of 1.12.2023) of the Italian Cooperation to CERF also covers this emergency that has caused 291 deaths, injured over 1900 people, destroyed roads, schools and health facilities in the north-eastern region of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The CERF’s action aims to support the humanitarian response coordinated by the Vietnamese government for the affected population.
CERF intervenes in ongoing humanitarian crises, whether from conflicts or natural disasters, by providing life-saving assistance including food, medical care and any other nature necessary to respond to the emergency.
In recent weeks, the Fund has already allocated aid to Myanmar and Bangladesh, countries under the competence of the AICS Hanoi Regional Office.
The support to Myanmar falls into the category of underfunded humanitarian crises. According to the Humanitarian Update of
August 2024, published by OCHA, there are 18.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in this country, where violent armed clashes between the army and opposing forces continue. CERF‘s commitment to “forgotten” crises has been renewed for the second time in 2024, totaling 100 million dollars, of which 12 million are for the emergency in Myanmar alone. Furthermore, recently, Myanmar has also been affected by the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi, which has caused death and destroyed crops and infrastructure in the country. CERF has preliminarily identified an additional 4 million dollars to be allocated to address this latest emergency, as reported in the OCHA Situation Report of 20 September 2024.
The allocation for Bangladesh, amounting to 4 million dollars, falls within the category of the emergency rapid response for the 5.8 million people affected by the violent rains that have poured into the country for the fourth time since the beginning of the year. According to OCHA, the floods have caused extensive damage to the agriculture and fisheries sectors, with rural roads, fields and fishponds being inundated. Relief operations have begun in the 11 districts of eastern Bangladesh affected by torrential rains.
