Amidst the devastation, the image of Division 2’s soldiers tirelessly racing against time to help people clear debris, rebuild collapsed or unroofed houses deeply moved local residents. Many said that in such difficult times, the bond between the military and the people becomes even stronger, forming a powerful force of recovery from the ruins.
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Major General Luong Dinh Chung, Political Commissar of Military Region 5, presents gifts to Division 2’s troops who are assisting residents in post-storm recovery. |
The house of Ta Minh Phung in An My hamlet, Gia Lai province’s An Luong commune was completely unroofed, with belongings scattered everywhere. After returning from the storm shelter, exhausted and heart-broken, Phung did not know where to begin. “The soldiers of Division 2 came and told us, ‘As long as we still live, we’ll have everything. The roof can be rebuilt, we’ll help you fix it. You should be resilient and stay united to overcome this difficult time,’” Phung said emotionally, adding that his family began cleaning and re-reroofing the house with the support of the soldiers.
Political Commissar of Division 2 Senior Colonel Le Sy Hung said that the division anticipated major damage in eastern part of Gia Lai province. Therefore, before the storm hit, its Party Committee and Chain-of-Command sent more than 350 officers and soldiers, along with equipment, to communes and wards namely An Luong, Tuy Phuoc, Nhon Dong, and Quy Nhon, ready to assist residents during and after the storm.
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Major General Luong Dinh Chung encourages on-duty troops. |
“With the tradition ‘Trusted by superiors, beloved by friends, cherished by the people; once deployed, we arrive; once fighting, we win,’ forged through over 60 years of development, Division 2 quickly completed preparations once receiving the order to assist civilians. Troops marched overnight and arrived at key sites by early morning on November 6 to support residents. On the afternoon of November 8, acknowledging the severe damage caused by the storm in Song Cau ward, the division continued deploying nearly 350 troops from Regiment 38 to help local residents,” Sr. Col. Le Sy Hung informed.
According to Gia Lai provincial functional agencies, Storm Kalmaegi caused two deaths and eight injuries; 199 houses collapsed, 12,447 houses unroofed, 15 boats sinking, 42 other boats and 334 fish-farming cages damaged. Many roads suffered serious landslides. The initial estimated loss exceeded VND 5 trillion.
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Division 2’s troops help residents in Gia Lai province overcome the aftermath of the storm. |
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Assisting local residents in house re-roofing |
Gia Lai province decided to support VND 60 million for each household whose home collapsed, VND 5 million for houses completely unroofed, and VND 2 million for partially unroofed ones. Families of deceased victims would receive VND 10 million per person, and those with injured members VND 5 million each. Compensation for sunken boats and damaged crops would follow regulations.
During meetings and field inspections, Secretary of Gia Lai Provincial Party Committee Thai Dai Ngoc praised the prompt response of local authorities, agencies, and armed forces. He urged the entire system to concentrate resources on recovery efforts, stabilizing people’s lives quickly, and emphasized the need to re-plan residential areas to ensure safety of life and property against natural disasters.
Translated by Mai Huong