OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Vietnam - Typhoon
13 November 2001


Situation

1.  Yesterday, 12 November, central Vietnam was hit by Typhoon Lingling
after it had left the Philippines area.  Due to effective early warning
and preparation by Central and Provincial authorities, including
evacuation of the vulnerable population, it was possible to mitigate
against the damage caused by the typhoon. Phu Yen and Binh Dinh Provinces
are the worst hit. So far, only Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai, and Quang
Tri Provinces have provided official damage reports.

2.  According to the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control
(CCFSC), as of late 12 November, the typhoon had caused 20 casualties and
83 injured.  562 families have been evacuated and the Provincial
authorities are providing food and shelter to these families. 2,636 houses
have been destroyed while more than 12,000 houses have been damaged.
Approximately 650 schools have been destroyed or damaged.  Close to 30,000
ha of rice paddy and other crops have been ruined.  Irrigation,
transportation, electricity and fishery sectors have also been affected.
Some 145 boats have reportedly been washed away.

3.  While the affected population in the Central Provinces are starting to
rebuild their livelihoods, in numbers of places, mainly the coastal
districts of Hue Province, some people are faced with the threat of
landslides and a sharp increase in river water levels due to heavy rain
associated with the storm.  As a mitigation measure, around 1,000 people
in Hue Province are being resettled.

4.  The typhoon has now dissipated.

5.  No appeal for international assistance has been received by OCHA to
date.

6.  OCHA is in contact with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Hanoi,
which is monitoring the situation.

7.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
  Mr. J. McGoldrick / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka / Mr. K. Quiding
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1712 / 3131 / 4034 / 1769

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International Disaster Information
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
                                          web: www.cidi.org
                                     listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@cidi.org