More than a week has passed, heavy rain has continued to pour down on the district, causing difficulties for the search and rescue and natural disaster consequences overcoming efforts of the joint forces. However, they have kept walking in the mud, floodwater, and raced against time to help people surmount the aftermath of the natural disaster.

Shining the civilian-military ties

Ho Bon Primary and Secondary Ethnic Boarding School in Ho Bon commune, Mu Cang Chai district was flooded with dirt and garbage after the latest flash flood. The school was devastated and most of the tables, chairs, books, computers, school supplies, documents, blankets of teachers and students... were in muddy water.

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Troops from Mu Cang Chai district’s armed forces actively support local people to overcome consequences of the recent flooding.

“There are only a few days to the start of the new school year. It is extremely difficult for the school to prepare accommodation and activities for more than 650 students,” worriedly said Nguyen Xuan Truong, the school's principal.

Acknowledging difficulties facing the school’s teachers, students, and their parents, hundreds of troops from the district’s armed forces have teamed with local cadres, Youth Union members and youths to clean up mud, wash tables, chairs, school supplies; consolidate and repair the school’s facilities damaged by floodwater.

Over the past week, troops from the Miliary Command of Mu Cang Chai district have been present at residential areas, schools, medical stations, landslide areas to give support to local people. The image of Colonel Nguyen Duc Thuy, the commanding officer, has been familiar to flood-hit people since he has directly led soldiers and militiamen to seriously-damaged places from dawn to dusk.

Joining hands with troops to clear mud from classrooms, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, the school’s Vice Principal, said that with the support from troops and militia force in this difficult time, they seem to have a solid fulcrum. “Although the workload is still very large and the school is untidy, seeing their enthusiasm, responsibility, wholeheartedness for the people, we feel really heartwarming,” the school leader said.

The color of the military uniform has also been seen in many other places in Lao Chai, Khao Mang communes of Mu Cang Chai district, which have been badly affected by flooding and landslides.

Giving top priority to flood-hit people

On August 11, directly monitoring and grasping situations in flood-devastated areas in Ho Bon, Khao Mang, Lao Chai communes, Yen Bai provincial Party Secretary Do Duc Duy inquired after, encouraged, and listened to flood-hit households’ thought and aspirations, and local party committees and authorities’ difficulties, problems and recommendations.

Seeing local armed forces actively supporting the people, the party official underlined that the armed forces of Military Region 2 are always the reliable support for people in the Northwest in general and those in Yen Bai province in particular.

He said that whenever a natural disaster happens in the locality, troops and militia force are always the key and vanguard forces in search and rescue operations and other helpful activities to overcome its consequences. “In difficulty, complicated, hard, and dangerous times, the Party committees, local authorities and people rely on troops,” Secretary Duy stressed.

He added that in the upcoming days, the province puts the top priority to ensuring accommodation for families who have lost their homes and properties. He said that the province will absolutely let no people go hungry or have no place to live.

Also on August 11, the provincial party secretary visited Hong Nhi Pa village where a resettlement area for homeless people will be built.

On August 11, Yen Bai province gave over two tons of rice to people in Khao Mang, Lao Chai and Ho Bon communes; supported over VND 2 billion to 51 households whose houses collapsed or were swept away; handed over VND 450 million to 15 households for emergency relocation; VND 2.5 billion to 123 severely-damaged households; and VND 18 million a person to the families whose members died due to the flooding. The provincial military command also presented VND 50 million to local flood-hit victims via Mu Cang Chai district chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee.

Translated by Mai Huong