WUNRN
VIETNAM FLOODS - WOMEN - NATURAL
DISASTERS - SURVIVAL SKILLS
Full Article Link: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndInformationOffice/newsAndEvents/archives/2006/WomenAndNaturalDisasters.htm
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Women Die Than Men as a Result of Natural Disasters - Research
More women die than men as the direct and indirect result of natural disasters, according to research presented at the Royal Geographical Society’s annual conference in London today (Friday 1 September 2006). This effect is strongest in countries with very low social and economic rights for women. In contrast, in those countries, in which women in their everyday lives have almost equal rights as men, natural disasters kill men and women about equally. _____________________________________________________________________
VIETNAM: CNN - November 2, 2008
The rainfall is the latest of three
storms in the southeast Asian country since late September. It has submerged
thousands of acres of crops and hundreds of houses, the news agency said. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/02/viet.floods/
______________________________________________________________________
International Herald Tribune -
November 2, 2008
VIETNAM: Food, especially
vegetables, is running out fast and prices have gone up four or five
times," said Nguyen Thu Thuy, whose home has been under water
since Saturday.Television footage on Sunday showed more than 90 percent of
the capital's vegetable growing acreage was under up to one meter, or three
feet, of water. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/02/asia/02flood-fw-361375.php
____________________________________________________________________
VIETNAM:
Slow Recovery from Floods
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A woman
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HANOI, 7 November 2008 (IRIN) - Flood waters have begun to recede but
parts of northern Vietnam, including neighbourhoods in Hanoi, remain under
water after nearly a week of rains triggered some of the heaviest flooding in a
generation.
"After two days of light or no rain, the situation in affected provinces
is coming back to normality and there are no changes in damage caused by heavy
rain and flooding since 30 October," the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in
Hanoi said in a statement.
According to Nguyen The Luong of the National Committee for Flood Control, as
of 7 November, a total of 59 people had died and seven were still missing.
"We expect more rain but it will not be as heavy as what fell in previous
days," Luong told IRIN. "Everything is now under control."
Despite the improved outlook, soldiers continue to work to reinforce dykes that
are holding back several rivers, which still threaten to burst their banks.
In Hanoi, where two more bodies were recovered, officials said a total 22
people had died. Most either drowned or were electrocuted.
During the worst of the flooding, thousands of homes in the city were inundated
with up to 1m of black water.
"When I stood in my house, the water came up past my waist," said
Nguyen Bich Ngoc, a mother of two in Hanoi. "There were fish and snakes in
the house. It was awful."
Fortunate residents were able to move out but others were forced to sleep on
tables. Clean water and instant noodles had to be delivered by rescue forces
when food shortages hit some areas. According to the Hanoi People's Committee,
10,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
Despite drier weather, the Chuong My district in the capital remains largely
submerged, with thousands of houses flooded. Villagers are using boats and
makeshift rafts to reach their houses.
However, with the receding waters thousands of homes are filled with mud,
rotting rubbish and sewage, raising the spectre of water-borne diseases. City
health officials have warned about outbreaks of cholera and diarrhoea but
UNICEF reported that no outbreaks have been detected.
Drainage investigation
The government inspectorate has ordered an investigation into Hanoi's US$500 million
water-drainage project. The first phase of the project, which was completed in
2005, was designed to handle about 170mm of precipitation in a two-day period.
Last week, more than 500mm of rain fell in just three days.
The city has just one pumping station, which itself was under water at one
point. The station is scheduled to be upgraded in the next phase of the
project.
The government is now tallying up the long-term damage to homes and livelihoods
in rural areas. The National Committee for Flood Control estimates that 225,000
hectares of rice paddy and farms across northern Vietnam were damaged in the
storm.
"While most of the focus is now on emergency and relief," UNICEF
said, "We understand that flooding has principally affected crops and field
yards, which may have a very negative mid- to long-term impact on most
vulnerable groups."
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