Hope for VN community dashed by landslides
SPRING is coming and bringing hope for better days ahead, especially for the Mo Nong ethnic minority people of Tra Leng commune of Nam Tra My district in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Nam.
The Mo Nong are known as the Bunong in Cambodia, where they principally reside in Mondulkiri province.
In October, during a time when Vietnam’s central region was suffering from successive storms and historic floodings, a severe landslide hit the remote mountainous area of Tra Leng, burying their houses and killing a dozen of their family members and neighbours.
At that time, roads to the commune were blocked with rocks, stones and thick layers of mud. Bridges and dams were swept away by strong floodwaters. Local people desperately looked at what was left after the landslide. They lost their houses, their crops and worst of all, their family members and neighbours.
Those left behind feared for their future.
Now, their pain has been partly relieved and smiles can be seen again on their faces as a new resettlement area with new houses has been built for them, not far from the old village.
In the place where they used to live, lines of solar-powered lights were installed. Bridges have been rebuilt. Children are excited about living in new houses and studying in new schools.
On a visit to Quang Nam province soon after the landslide, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered support to people living in landslidehit areas so that no one would be homeless or hungry and so diseases wouldn’t emerge after the natural disaster.
The prime minister urged measures to quickly stabilise life and production for the people.
Secretariat of Nam Tra My district Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Committee Le Thanh Hung said people in Tra Leng commune could soon recover from the severe natural disaster thanks to great and timely support from agencies, organisations and people across the country.
Severe storms, floods and landslides hit the district in October, claiming 19 lives, leaving 13 people missing and causing severe injuries to 33 others. In Tra Leng commune alone, the natural disaster killed 13 people, injured 20 people and 13 people are still missing, he said.
As many as 95 houses were buried by landslides or swept away by floodwaters, Hung said, let alone damage to infrastructure, schools, healthcare centres and crops.
Tra Leng commune People’s Committee chairman Phan
Quoc Cuong said the localities had been making efforts to search for missing people and create new stable accommodations and livelihoods for people affected by natural disasters.
On December 22, the construction of a new resettlement area was started by the government of Nam Tra My district to help the landslide victims.
Local authorities conducted a survey and chose a land plot with an area of 6ha for resettlement.
This land plot was donated by people in Tra Don commune.
Local people and authorities in Tra Don commune agreed to donate 6ha of their land to victims in Tra Leng commune to build a resettlement area.
Fifty-one households affected by landslides in Tra Leng commune received 150 million dong ($6,550) from the government and other donors to build new homes.
The local authorities also sped up the construction of basic infrastructure – power and clean water supply systems, a community house, preschool and roads – as well as restored cultivation areas so that farming could be resumed soon.
Officials and soldiers of Military Zone V donated three billion dong to help Tra Leng people build a new community house which would be used as a shelter during big storms.
Nguyen Duc Xuan, director of An Xuan Phat One Member Co Ltd – the resettlement project constructor – said the company donated more than 20 million dong to each family to complete their houses with the design featuring typical traditional house of the Mo Nong people.
Meanwhile, Vietnam Electricity donated three billion dong to build a preschool. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development donated 30 solar lighting sets and six tonnes of sticky rice for residents to have during Tet. The ministry also installed an automatic rainfall measuring system to deliver timely warnings about abnormal heavy rains.
Ho Van De, a village elder in Tra Leng commune, said eight of his family members died or went missing due to the terrible landslide on October 28.
He said: “The losses to my family and my whole village always seem to be unbearable pain to us.
“However, after the natural disaster, thanks to support from the party, state and government agencies, organisations and individuals, we know that we were not alone.
“We were not left hungry or cold. We have a new hope to start a better life.
“We will have a Tet [Lunar New Year] celebration in new houses. That makes us so happy.”