Vietnam faces deadly flooding disaster - Red Cross

At least 178,000 homes in Vietnam have been submerged, like these in Quang Binh province

Millions of people in Vietnam face a "deadly double disaster" as the country - already suffering from the impact of Covid-19 - battles its worst floods for decades, the Red Cross says.

Flooding and landslides this month have killed over 100 people, many of them soldiers, and left dozens more missing.

"Everywhere we look, homes, roads and infrastructure have been submerged," the Red Cross said in a statement.

Vietnam has been severely hit by heavy rainfall in recent weeks.

Families have been struggling to get around and receive food and supplies due to heavy flooding in the province of Thua Thien Hue

More rain is expected in the coming days, raising fears that floodwaters could rise further.

Nearly 200,000 homes have been engulfed in the flooding

"These devastating floods are some of the worst we have seen in decades," the president of the Vietnam Red Cross Society, Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu, said.

A local resident in Quang Binh province uses a line to pull himself towards aid rescuers

"They are dealing a staggering blow to the livelihoods of millions of people already reeling from hardships caused by the Covid-19 pandemic."

Hundreds of thousands of people are in need of urgent shelter, safe drinking water and food, the Red Cross says

The floodwaters have so far left at least 178,000 homes submerged, food crops have been destroyed and nearly 700,000 poultry and livestock have been killed or swept away.

Red Cross volunteers are using small boats to reach people in need of aid

"We're doing our best to get immediate relief to people by boat, by air and on land, including food, safe water, tarpaulins and other essentials," Dr Thu added.

Local residents and volunteers deliver aid packages to people affected by heavy rainfall in Thua Thien Hue province

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) said hundreds of thousands of people in Vietnam were in need of urgent shelter, safe drinking water and food to prevent a larger humanitarian crisis.

"These floods are the last straw and will push millions of people further towards the brink of poverty," Red Cross official Christopher Rassi said.

The IFRC added that it had provided about $325,000 (£250,000) in aid relief so far.

Vietnam is experiencing a "deadly double disaster" because of the floods and the coronavirus pandemic, the Red Cross says

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