Announcement 313/TB-VPCP 2022 initial assessment of damage and after action recovery from typhoon

• Official number: 313/TB-VPCP
• Legislation Type: Announcement
• Organization: The Office of Government
• Signer: Tran Van Son
• Issued Date: 30/09/2022

GOVERNMENT OFFICE OF VIETNAM -------	SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence - Freedom – Happiness ---------------
No. 313/TB-VPCP	Hanoi, September 30, 2022

ANNOUNCEMENT

CONCLUSION OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF VIETNAM PHAM MINH CHINH AT THE MEETING ABOUT INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE, AFTER-ACTION REVIEW AND RECOVERY FROM TYPHOON

On September 28, 2022, at the headquarters of the Government, the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired an online meeting with the attendance of 8 provinces including Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Kon Tum. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control - Chairperson of the National Committee for Air and Sea Search And Rescue, and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan - Standing Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, members of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the National Committee for Air and Sea Search And Rescue, the Secretaries of the Provincial Party Committees and the Chairpersons of the Local People's Committee. 

After hearing the general report of the Frontline Steering Committee for Response to Typhoon Noru, the report on the developments, forecast and warning of natural disasters after the typhoon Noru made by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the opinions of some attendees, the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has come to the following conclusion:

1. The typhoon Noru had a very strong intensity and affected a large area. From its formation to its landfall, the intensity of the typhoon continuously changed.   In the evening of September 27 and the morning of September 28, the typhoon Noru directly affected areas in the Central region, causing winds of Beaufort force 10 or gusts of force 14 on Ly Son and Cu Lao Cham islands; The mainland has wind of force 6 to 8, gust of force 10; the highest speed of wind is in Tam Ky (Quang Nam) with squalls of force 9, gusts of force 13. Noru brought heavy rains from 150-300mm in the provinces from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai and Kon Tum, with very heavy rains in some areas such as: Khe Tre (Hue City) 362mm, Thuong Nhat (Hue City) 344mm, Viet An (Quang Nam) 628mm, An Long (Quang Nam) 372mm, Ly Son (Quang Ngai) ) 337mm.

The Government and Prime Minister have extensively, closely, pre-emptively, and remotely directed and mobilized the entire political systems of 8 provinces and cities to promptly, effectively take preventive measures. The Prime Minister established the Frontline Steering Committee for Response to Typhoon Noru headed by the Prime Minister Le Van Thanh to direct the response efforts; promulgated 02 Official Telegrams on directing local authorities, especially those in 8 provinces and cities where the typhoon made landfalls (6 coastal provinces from Quang Tri to Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Kon Tum) to respond to the typhoon. In the morning of September 27, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh chaired an online storm response emergency meeting with 1.251 participating nodes at provinces, districts and communes of 08 most affected provinces and cities. From September 25 to 27, the Frontline Steering Committee organized 03 working groups to directly inspect, urge and direct the response to the typhoon Noru. On the night of September 27, the Frontline Steering Committee held an overnight work to continuously monitor and meet online with the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and cities to understand the situation in each province/city and promptly direct the implementation of the response.

2. Strictly following the instructions of the Government, the Prime Minister, local authorities have been very proactive and drastic in implementing response measures. Before Noru made landfalls, local authorities and forces had called and guided 57.840 vessels (299.678 people) to move to shelter and anchor safely; on September 27, 2022, more than 108.441 households (340.863 people) were evacuated to safety. People in 20.712h hectares and 4.571 aquaculture cages and rafts had been informed and evacuated ashore in order to ensure their safety when typhoon Noru made landfall. Dikes, dams, infrastructure works were reinforced; the people were instructed to reinforce their houses and property; traffic was restricted when the Noru made landfalls. 

Thanks to the prompt and drastic response, the damage has been initially minimized, especially without loss of life. To be specific: Concerning people: 04 injured people (Quang Tri); concerning houses: 03 collapsed houses (Quang Tri: 02, Thua Thien Hue: 01), 157 damaged and unroofed houses (Quang Tri 118); concerning vessels: 03 small boats sank (Da Nang 02, Quang Nam 01); concerning electricity: power outage in 9.427 substations (Quang Nam: 4369, Da Nang: 3340, Quang Ngai: 1718) and power outage in 15 communes (Kon Tum: 09 communes, Gia Lai: 06 communes). Currently, 535 substations have been repaired (Quang Nam: 372, Da Nang: 163). Other damage: 01 fallen antenna post of Hoi An City Communication Center (Quang Nam); 02 damaged border guard posts (Quang Nam), etc. Many fallen trees in the provinces including Quang Tri, Da Nang, Quang Ngai and Gia Lai.

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4. The Prime Minister emphasized 6 lessons learned after the typhoon. Lesson 1: resolutely, decisively, consistently mobilize and evacuate people from danger. This is the decisive factor to avoid casualty. Lesson 2: firmly grasp the developments, closely follow the situation, mobilize the synergy of the entire political system, people and enterprises to promptly and effectively prepare for and respond to the typhoon. Lesson 3: proactively develop scenarios and plans for typhoon Noru preparation and response suitable to the situation, regularly organize drills, update and complete them; operate these scenarios and plans according to the "four on-the-spot motto" in case of emergencies. Lesson 4: perform the leadership role drastically, actively, practically and early, both remotely and internally.  Lesson 5: provide information thoroughly, comprehensively, adequately and promptly for Party committees, authorities, enterprises and the people to proactively respond to natural disasters. Lesson 6: local authorities have displayed their spirit of initiative, always heighten their spirit of vigilance, avoid complacency and overconfidence or panic in response to natural disasters. Communist Party committees, authorities at all levels and people have taken the initiative and showed their bravery, displayed the spirit of self-reliance, self-reliance, raised their experience and knowledge, the leadership of the Communist Party, the management of the state, and mobilized the participation of the entire political system, the participation of the people with the spirit of solidarity, compassion and mutual support to respond to natural disasters.

5. From practice and experience, in order to quickly overcome consequences and stabilize people's lives, the Prime Minister requested ministries, central authorities, agencies and local authorities to focus on effectively implementing some following key and immediate tasks:

- Ministries, central and local authorities shall quickly assess the damages, immediately implement the measures to remedy the consequences of rain and flood, promptly stabilize the people’s lives; promptly encourage, visit and support the families affected by rain and typhoon; create all conditions for the pupils to return to their schools, and the people to restore their production and business and stabilize their production soon, do not let the people suffer from hunger, cold and homelessness as well as avoid outbreak of epidemics due to environmental pollution after the typhoon.

- Local authorities shall review, assess and total up reports on the damage, ensuring adequacy and accuracy, send them to the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control for consolidation and report them to the Prime Minister; proactively use the Fund for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the local budget reserve and other lawful capital sources to overcome the consequences of the natural disaster.

- The Ministry of Finance shall be ready to timely provide supplies and food to support provinces/cities in overcoming the consequences of the typhoon Noru under the Prime Minister's Decision on the basis of the proposal of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and provisions of the law.

- The Ministry of Transport shall direct support units to urgently overcome landslides of key traffic routes, thereby ensuring uninterrupted traffic; protect key traffic construction works, especially the North - South expressway sections being constructed.

- EVN shall direct the Central Power Corporation and its member units to urgently restore the power transmission system, thereby ensuring the power supply as soon as possible to serve production and daily life of the people. Closely cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in ensuring the regulation and operation of hydroelectricity and irrigation reservoirs in accordance with the process, ensuring absolute safety for the works and downstream areas.

- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the ministries, central and local authorities shall closely monitor the situation after the typhoon and forecast the weather, avoid complacency and overconfidence; continue to strictly implement the directions of the Government and the Prime Minister on natural disaster prevention and control with better plans in terms of readiness and proactiveness; strictly implement the motto “phòng hơn chống” (“better safe than sorry"), “4 tại chỗ” (“four on-the-spot”), “địa phương và người dân là chính” (“local people are top priority”); ensure safety during search and rescue, if any.

- The National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control shall continue to arrange pickets, closely monitor natural disaster developments, promptly advise the Steering Committee's leaders to handle all natural disaster situations, avoid passivity. Tally up the damage caused by the typhoon Noru and the local need for support in overcoming the consequences of the typhoon Noru, and send a report it to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision to ensure promptness, effectiveness and thriftiness.

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For your information and compliance./.

(This document replaces Announcement No. 308/TB-VPCP dated September 28, 2022 of the Government Office).

MINISTER, CHAIRPERSON




Tran Van Son