Critical Aid Arrives in Vietnam After Typhoon Yagi

Powerful winds and torrential downpours sent Tran’s house sliding down a nearby mountainside in northern Vietnam. If the 78-year-old hadn’t fled, she would likely be among the more than 250 dead in the wake of Typhoon Yagi.

Just days after, Samaritan’s Purse staff were wading through flooded streets and neighbourhoods checking on families and distributing emergency supplies such as lifejackets, flashlights, and whistles.

“I’ve lost everything,” Tran lamented with heavy tears. “My house, furniture, crops, and livestock—everything I had was washed away in the landslide.”

Tran stands in front of her crumbled home—one among the estimated 235,000 homes destroyed by Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam.

Typhoon Yagi battered communities like Tran’s in northern Vietnam two weeks ago. It was the largest storm to hit the southeast Asian country in three decades. Sustained winds of nearly 160 kmph ripped apart homes and businesses and downpours triggered deadly landslides in the mountainous regions across multiple provinces around Hanoi, the nation’s capital.

The floodwaters persisted in low-lying areas for many days after, crippling local infrastructure and destroying 300,000-plus acres of arable land.

Tran was among the thousands in Vietnam left homeless after fleeing for their lives. She escaped to the home of nearby family, but, without electricity or clean water, the future looked bleak for the elderly woman.

Typhoon Yagi intensified as it swept across the South China Sea, ultimately making landfall in northern Vietnam Sept. 7.

Airlifting Aid and Serving the Suffering in Vietnam

Our DC-8 aircraft arrived in the region Sept. 16 carrying 20 tons of relief supplies, including solar lights, household water filters, jerry buckets, and kitchen kits to supply as many as 3,000 families. An additional load of supplies arrived over the weekend onboard our 757 plane. These items are already being distributed to those in great need.

Tran was among the many Vietnamese helped by the work of our teams on the ground.

“Thank you, Samaritan’s Purse, for providing these important items at this time,” she said. “I feel very happy and touched by the care.”

Tran sits behind her supplies she received from Samaritan’s Purse–a household water filtration system, a solar-powered light, and a kitchen kit.

Tran and her family can now filter contaminated water to stay healthy, cook with the new kitchen supplies after losing their own, and use the solar-powered light to see at night until electricity is restored.

Samaritan’s Purse has been working in Vietnam for more than 25 years, building strong relationships with local organisations and communities. So, our staff was prepared to respond to the hardest-hit areas to help meet critical needs after Typhoon Yagi.

A Samaritan’s Purse staff member instructs residents in the Cao Bang Province how to use the household water filtration kit.

“Staff have travelled over 600 miles on difficult mountain roads to reach remote households with this essential aid,” said Dave Kletzing, Vietnam country director for Samaritan’s Purse.
Dave and his family sheltered at home during Yagi’s onslaught and were shocked to see the damage it caused.

“Yagi brought so much heartbreak, confusion, and urgency. Villages were underwater, towns were without power, and landslides were everywhere,” he said. “But God has put Samaritan’s Purse here for a reason—to serve.”

Over 3,000 families have received aid from Samaritan’s Purse since our DC-8 aircraft arrived Sept. 16.

Help and Hope Amid Heartbreak

Like Tran and thousands of others in northern Vietnam, Lee, a local resident, and her family of four were also displaced by the typhoon. The historic storm wiped away all they had, but the days after proved to be just as painful.

“My house, and my sister’s house, have been completely destroyed,” said Lee, who now lives at her mother’s small home with eight other family members. This was only the beginning of their problems: “The local water source has been polluted; it smells like rotten animal carcasses and caused skin disease for my sister.”

Though her home lies in ruins, Lee looks to the future with hope, deeply grateful for the aid provided by Samaritan’s Purse.

Our household water filters provided Lee and her family with the vital drinking water they desperately needed.

“These are very useful and necessary items in this difficult time,” Lee said. “Thank you, Samaritan’s Purse.”

As we continue to journey to the far reaches of Vietnam to distribute more aid, please pray for the safety of our staff, partners, and local residents. Pray that the supplies will reach the hands of those who need it most.

Pray for the thousands in Vietnam who face a challenging journey toward recovery.