Samaritan’s Purse is responding to the deadly cyclone with emergency equipment and supplies.
For the latest on this response, follow this link to learn more.
UPDATE SEPT. 18: The Samaritan’s Purse 757 aircraft left for Vietnam on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from our hangar in Greensboro, North Carolina, carrying 12 pallets of blankets, solar lights, kitchen kits, and more relief supplies. Materials from our first flight are currently being distributed by our staff and local partners in Vietnam to flooded communities reeling from Typhoon Yagi. Pray for the many thousands displaced by this historic storm and for our staff as they reach isolated communities with essential aid and much-needed encouragement.
Relief supplies that arrived aboard our DC-8 aircraft are now being distributed to hurting families in northern Vietnam. Our second flight will soon arrive with additional aid.
Catastrophic floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi have killed over 200 people and displaced many thousands of residents in Vietnam since the cyclone made landfall last Saturday. 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.
Though the storm has passed, floodwaters have yet to subside and many dozens of people are still missing. Northern Vietnam has not seen a storm of this magnitude in decades.
Samaritan’s Purse staff are on the ground in Yen Bai, wading through flooded streets and neighborhoods to distribute emergency equipment to shaken residents in the area. Just days after the storm, we have provided 500 people with emergency equipment such as lifejackets, flashlights, and whistles. Samaritan’s Purse is working towards additional response opportunities, aiming to meet area needs such as clean water, food, and non-food items.
“I have lost everything,” said Phuong, a local resident. “The water rose fast to the roof at midnight. The only thing I could do was to escape and save my life. Everything is still submerged.”
Phuong, left, is one of the many Yen Bai residents to receive a lifejacket as part of our initial response to Typhoon Yagi.
Phuong is just one of many people uprooted by Typhoon Yagi to receive emergency supplies from Samaritan’s Purse.
Please pray for the people of northern Vietnam reeling from this devastating storm. Pray for Samaritan’s Purse staff in the country as our response begins.
Pray for the people of Vietnam as they recover from Typhoon Yagi.
This article was originally posted on Sept.13 at 11:12 a.m.
