Disaster relief Switzerland sends team of experts to Vietnam due to typhoon "Yagi"

Switzerland is sending a team of experts from the Humanitarian Aid Unit to Vietnam, which was badly affected by Typhoon Yagi. In addition, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is making CHF 1 million available for the affected population.

Six members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) were sent to the Southeast Asian country today, Thursday, as announced by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The team consists of specialists in the areas of water and sanitation, emergency shelter and disaster preparedness, it added.

The team will support the Vietnamese authorities in assessing needs and providing short and medium-term relief measures. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is also planning a delivery of relief supplies, including 300 family tents and two water supply systems for 10,000 people. In the run-up to the disaster, the SDC and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have also coordinated the transportation of essential goods, which Switzerland is financing, to the affected areas.

Typhoon "Yagi" left a trail of destruction in several countries in Southeast Asia. Stormy winds and heavy rainfall hit the Philippines, China and finally Vietnam in succession, causing extensive damage.

In Vietnam, numerous towns and villages were flooded and severe landslides were triggered. Thousands of people had to leave their homes. Several hundred people are already dead or missing. According to the FDFA, Vietnam has not experienced a disaster of this kind for over thirty years. Mountainous regions are particularly affected. In view of the great need, the Vietnamese authorities have launched an international appeal for help.