Samaritan’s Purse has distributed tons of aid to communities across northern Vietnam in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which struck the nation in September.
Samaritan’s Purse has distributed relief supplies to thousands of families in northern Vietnam after Typhoon Yagi decimated the region in early September. Our DC-8 and 757 aircraft transported over 80,000 pounds of aid to the Southeast Asian country from our hangar in Greensboro, North Carolina, soon after floodwaters subsided. Working through our local partners in three different provinces, Samaritan’s Purse has distributed this aid—with more distributions still taking place—to hard-hit areas in Vietnam’s remote highlands.
Over the last six weeks, our teams have navigated challenging terrain to provide essential items such as household water filters, kitchen sets, basic cooking ingredients, solar-powered lights, hygiene kits—which include washcloths, detergent, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap—and more to reeling families.
Typhoon Yagi struck the greater Hanoi area on Sept. 7, unleashing life-threatening winds and torrential rains. As it moved further inland, the storm triggered deadly landslides and flash floods across the northern region of the country, resulting in over 300 fatalities, thousands of injuries, and significant damage to infrastructure and agricultural production.
A truck loaded with Samaritan’s Purse supplies travels through devastated regions to reach isolated communities in Cao Bang Province.
Trong, a local resident, recounted the harrowing night Yagi hit: “As we ran out of the house near midnight, everything collapsed in the landslide. We were overwhelmed with fear and sadness, and didn’t know how to rebuild our home.” She, her husband, and their two children narrowly escaped with their lives, but all they had was gone, buried under a blanket of mud. In the mountainous Yen Bai Province where they reside, thousands of lives were uprooted and, without clean water and supplies, they faced a bleak future.
Pho was another who saw the brute force of Typhoon Yagi that night. Landslides, too, destroyed her home and left her in a precarious situation with her young child. “I am very sad; words cannot describe it,” she lamented.
Pho stands with her young child on the foundation of what once was her home, crumbled by landslides and floodwaters.
In collaboration with local partners, Samaritan’s Purse arrived to these hurting families with bundles of relief care. Our supplies provided mothers like Trong and Pho with a way to care for their families during this crisis and hope for the future.
“These gifts have been incredibly helpful and necessary for my family at this time. I am very grateful to Samaritan’s Purse,” Trong said.
Just as Pho was at a loss of words at the devastation caused by Yagi, she was speechless when Samaritan’s Purse arrived. “I don’t know what else to say except thank you to all you kind-hearted people who have come to help my family in this difficult time,” Pho expressed.
Trong’s fear and sadness after Typhoon Yagi was traded for joy and gratitude when she received crucial supplies from Samaritan’s Purse.
Bringing Aid to the Hurting
Even farther north, along the border with China, we distributed more aid to isolated families in the Lao Cai and Cao Bang provinces.
The floods came quickly that night, Hue, a resident in Lao Cai, explained. All she could do was grab her son. “When I returned, the house was devastated, nothing was left.” Yagi had stripped her house to its foundation and killed much of her livestock, including 100 of her chickens. All she owned was gone in a flash.
Samaritan’s Purse arrived shortly after with supplies to re-equip the mother to provide for her family once again.
“Oh, I love the pot set,” Hue emphasized. “These are the things I have been wishing for.”
With the aid provided by Samaritan’s Purse, Hue and her husband can now begin to rebuild their lives.
Throughout the three provinces where we are working, stories reflect both the unprecedented devastation and a flicker of hope emerging in Yagi’s aftermath.
“Yagi brought so much heartbreak, confusion, and urgency. Villages were underwater, towns were without power, and landslides were everywhere,” said Dave Kletzing, the country director for Samaritan’s Purse Vietnam. Yet, he sees this as confirmation of why Samaritan’s Purse exists. “I was so grateful to realize that God had put Samaritan’s Purse here for a reason: to serve. It is an incredible honor to work hand-in-hand with government agencies to bring lifesaving aid to those affected by the disaster.”
Please pray for our staff as the work continues, and pray for the people of Vietnam as they rebuild after Typhoon Yagi.
