Responding in Vietnam

The mud was so thick that Ma Seo Vu’s sandals got stuck and he had to continue on his journey barefoot. A landslide on the mountainside had dumped mud and debris onto the road that he was using as an escape route from his village in northern Vietnam that had flooded. 

Typhoon Yagi triggered catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents. Sustained wind speeds near 100 mph ripped apart homes and businesses in Yen Bai Province, while torrential downpours caused rivers to overflow and massive boulders to fall in the mountainous region. 

“I have never seen or heard such heavy rains. The first night when it rained, I really thought I was dreaming,” Ma Seo Vu said. 

He never expected that the rains would continue for several days. And he certainly didn’t expect to hear the mountain moving one evening while having dinner with his family.

“It was terrifying. I heard landslides happening around us,” he said. “The next morning, my village was left with nothing. Our rice, our fields, and our crops were all lost. Our livelihood is gone.” 

Ma Seo Vu and his entire village were forced to leave their homes and seek safety elsewhere. His family stayed in a school for several days and then moved to a tent. 

“My village used to be one of the prettiest areas around. Now, it’s devastated,” he said.

PROVIDING EMERGENCY RELIEF 

Just days after the storm, Samaritan’s Purse staff were wading through flooded streets and neighbourhoods to distribute emergency equipment such as lifejackets, flashlights, and whistles. 

Our DC-8 and 757 aircraft landed in Vietnam soon after, carrying tonnes of relief supplies including water filters, jerry buckets, solar lights, blankets, and kitchen kits. 

Ma Seo Vu, who desperately needed a solar light, as he didn’t have electricity. “I can bring the light to my tent and even use it to charge my phone,” he said. 

He was elated to also receive a water filter. “People are looking for water sources. We won’t have to worry about clean water with this filter,” he said. “Thank you, Samaritan’s Purse. I’m so glad for your help.” 

MEETING CRITICAL NEEDS

Like Ma Seo Vu and thousands of others in northern Vietnam, Vang Thi Yeng and her family were displaced from their home during the typhoon. The historic storm caught them by surprise—and so did the landslides. 

“It rained for four days and four nights without stopping. The ground started cracking, and there were cracks in our house. We started to feel that we were in danger,” she said. “I have never experienced anything like this in my life.” 

She was distraught to see their home and personal belongings in ruins. “I cry every time I think of all that we’ve lost,” she said. “We don’t know when we will have a new place to live.” 

The family secured a temporary shelter, but dirty water from a nearby stream was their only water source— until they connected with our team. “With this filter from Samaritan’s Purse, I can be sure that we have clean water to drink,” Vang Thi Yeng said. 

She is also thankful for the kitchen items we provided that will make cooking easier since they couldn’t salvage any of their own supplies.