Youths help deal with consequences of floods (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent adispatch to relevant ministries, sectors, and localities requesting they focuson settling the consequences of natural disasters and recovering production inthe central region.
He highlighted the need to concentrate on ensuring food supplies to thoseaffected and supporting households with damaged housing to re-build before the upcomingTet (Lunar New Year) holiday, while urgently restoring basic infrastructure,especially healthcare and education and transport, irrigation, and dyke networks.
Ministries, sectors, and localities should prepare climate changescenarios as well as comprehensive assessments of the risk posed by naturaldisasters and their impact on people’s livelihoods and socio-economicdevelopment, the PM said, thus enabling an appropriate response.
At the same time, it is necessary to bolster resilience against naturaldisasters in terms of housing and public facilities, review policies on socialwelfare, ethnic minority affairs, and housing to provide more support for poorhouseholds to build safe houses, and evacuate people in at-risk areas.
The PM asked for close control over investment in the construction ofinfrastructure serving socio-economic development, particularly hydropower damsand plants and especially small-scale ones, along with the protection andplanting of forests and the minimising of any ecological impact.
At the same time, he highlighted the need to complete legal regulationsand policies relating to natural disaster prevention and response andovercoming the consequences, with adjustments to procedures regarding urgentsupport and fund raising and distribution.
More resources should be invested in natural disaster mitigation and search andrescue activities, he stressed, while focusing on repairing and upgrading the dykenetwork and associating investment in natural disaster prevention with the socio-economicdevelopment plans of different sectors and localities.
The Government leader asked the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment to coordinate with localities to assist natural disaster-hit residentsin resuming agricultural production. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids, andSocial Affairs was asked to work closely with other ministries to deal with anydifficulties arising in supporting flood-hit households with housing, whilekeeping a close watch on the hunger situation in localities.
He asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to enhance thequality of its forecasting activities and to build a natural disaster map. TheMinistry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security were requested toreview the locations of their bases to ensure safety, while preparing equipmentfor search and rescue activities.
The Ministry of Transport was asked to support localities in fixingroads damaged by flooding and landslides, while the Ministry of Industry andTrade was directed to monitor materials and goods to avoid shortages and risingprices, while reviewing the planning of and tightening the control over theconstruction of hydropower reservoirs and dams.
The Ministry of Construction was urged to design and guide the building ofresilient housing for people in flood-affected areas, while the Ministry ofFinance was asked to submit a draft decree on the raising, distribution, anduse of support for disaster-hit residents.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment was directed to prioritise theallocation of public investment to localities suffering from natural disasters,while the State Bank of Vietnam was asked to guide credit organisations in offeringsupport to people and businesses affected.
Meanwhile, the PM also asked the Vietnam Fatherland Front CentralCommittee to continue providing guidelines and supervision over activities toraise funds, to ensure transparency, equality, and efficiency./.
