 At
least 53 people have now died as a result of flooding in the Mekong
Delta in southern Vietnam. Nearly 500,000 homes have been inundated
and 75,000 people have either been evacuated or will be moved
soon.
Some major
towns in southern Vietnam are under a metre of water. The flood
is vast. In Dong Thap, one of the worst affected provinces, 90%
of the land is now under water. Some homes are completely submerged
- in other cases the roofs can still be seen just above the water.
Even now,
six weeks after the flood began, many families are being forced
to accept that they cannot hang on to their houses and will have
to seek higher ground. 750,000 people are set to be evacuated
Those who have already left their homes are living on dykes in
cramped and increasingly squalid conditions.
Aid workers
say the worst is yet to come. The water levels are still rising
and will not be back to normal until November.That means many
people will be unable to earn a living and will run short of money
so that even if food is available, they will not be able to afford
it.
Flood crisis
CAMBODIA:
119 dead
1.4 million affected
Capital, Phnom Penh, under threat of flooding
VIETNAM:
40 dead
500,000 affected
Flooding in Mekong Delta worst in 40 years
THAILAND
30 dead
Central region under threat
Dams in danger of bursting
Peter Nicholson,
who is running the Red Cross relief effort in the Mekong Delta,
says people's safety is the first concern. "After that we
look at shelter for people and food for people¿ providing
people the means to stay healthy," he says.
The fact that
the water has risen gradually has meant that most people have
had time to save their posessions. In addition, good early warning
systems have helped prevent a greater loss of life. But the aid
effort is only just beginning. For those forced to move because
of the flood, there are many difficult weeks ahead.
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