Typhoon Ketsana reaches Vietnam and Cambodia

Typhoon Ketsana spread from the Philippines to Vietnam and Cambodia. There have been over 160 deaths, and over 21,500 houses have completely collapsed. There has also been extensive damage to crops in both regions.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated and streets and transport infrastructure has been severely affected.

There has also been extensive wind damage related to the typhoon, even in areas that have not flooded. This hits poorer families hard. Thien, a 12 year-old-girl comes from Quang Ngai province, returned with her family from an evacuation shelter to nothing but a pile of bricks. The family are now concerned that they will not be able to feed themselves and rebuild their home, let alone continue to send Thien and her brothers to school.

“We don’t know when we could build our house again. We have to find enough food to survive first”, explains Mai, Thien’s mother. “The saving for our children to go to school is lost. They may have to stop going to school this year”.

“I don’t know if my parents can afford our school’s tuition fee. We are afraid that we do not have enough food to eat. I wish someone can help us out”, said Thien.

So far, Plan has distributed over $290,000 in relief such as basic food, like rice and cooking oil and other essentials to over 17,382 families like Thien's. Plan is now beginning on the reconstruction phase, assisting with shelter and sanitation, as well as reconstruction of infrastructure, schools and educational tools. Plan will look at financial support for badly affected communities, in the hope of keeping children like Thien in school.