The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters was activated for flooding in Vietnam on 30 July at 16:00 (UTC+02:00). The mechanism was triggered by UNITAR/UNOSAT on behalf of UN ESCAP.
The torrential rain that the northern area of Vietnam has experienced, the heaviest in forty years, started on 26 July and has caused the inundation of thousands of homes and left at least 17 dead.
“Particularly affected is the Quang Ninh Province on Vietnam's north coast, with cities including Halong, Cam Pha, Uong Bi, Dong Trieu, Van Don and Hoanh Bo all experiencing flooding. In some areas the flood waters have reached 2 metres in height, prompting rescue efforts to evacuate hundreds of residents to safe locations. It is estimated that more than 3000 homes have been affected by the floods,” the Charter informed.
The heavy rain has caused as well landslides affecting the mountainous areas of the province and weather forecasts predict that further flooding and landslides will occur during the first week of August.
