Viet Nam: Flash floods DREF operation No. MDRVN004 final report
GLIDE n=B0 FF-2008-000173-VNM
The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation's disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to disasters.
Summary: CHF 200,000 (USD 175,633 or EUR 127,837) was allocated from the International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Vietnamese national society in addressing immediate needs in terms of food and basic household items in the worst-hit Northern provinces of Bac Giang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, and Son La.
The DREF operation was completed in November 2008, with the distribution of 2,000 household kits (of which 1,000 were distributed within two days after the disaster struck) and 290,010 tonnes of rice. The distribution of rice reached more beneficiaries than initially planned with an extra 200 tonnes, thanks to open tendering which led to procurement at a lower price than anticipated. In total, about 11,048 families (approximately 56,444 people) in the four provinces of Bac Giang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh and Son La benefited from this support.
The relief operation took place in the context where local resources were overwhelmed due to the subsequent incidents of disaster including Typhoon Kammuri (August 2008), Typhoon Mekkhala (September 2008) and the floods (October/November 2008). All these weather events took place in the short space of three months, challenging the Viet Nam Red Cross and the administration capacity in disaster response. The VNRC, with support of the International Federation, is one of the humanitarian organizations in the country which supports emergency needs within a very short time after the onset of disaster with practical items to help beneficiaries maintain the functioning of everyday life.
Major donors to the DREF include the Irish, Italian, Netherlands and Norwegian governments and ECHO.