At public spaces, schools and community houses, people have joined hands to wrap and cook thousands of chung cakes, tet cakes and sticky rice, while also collecting and donating hundreds of tonnes of food, supplies and essential goods. Convoys of relief vehicles have been organised, travelling in different directions toward flood-affected areas where residents are waiting anxiously.
Rescuing through the night
During the night of November 20 and on November 21, functional forces in Dak Lak Province continuously received emergency calls from flood-hit residents in eastern communes and wards of the province. These requests were immediately transferred to rescue teams for deployment. Y Sang Adrơng, Deputy Director of Dak Lak Provincial Police, who directly directed flood response efforts, stated that provincial police had mobilised more than 5,000 officers and soldiers and on-site forces, while deploying 122 vehicles of various types along with 40 canoes and motorboats to support flood response, rescue and relief. Rescue teams worked through the night, and by the night of November 20 and the day of November 21, hundreds of residents in severely flooded areas had been brought to safety.
When residents sought shelter at the police headquarters, recognising it as a high point, the unit immediately arranged nearly 300 mats, 500 blankets, medicines and essential goods. Fifty mattresses were prioritised for the elderly, pregnant women and newborns.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Vang, Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Division of Gia Lai Provincial Police
Truong Thi Kim Bong, a resident of Tuy Hoa Ward, after two days surrounded by floodwaters, was rescued by a team on the night of November 20 and brought to a safe location. Her voice still trembled “For two days, the floodwater surrounded my house; I could not get out. When hope was fading in the raging water, the rescue team reached me and took me to safety.”
The entire political system from province to grassroots level in Gia Lai urgently mobilised to direct and assist residents under the “four on-the-spot” principle. Local forces deployed more than 2,000 people and around 1,000 vehicles, including canoes, motorboats and jet skis, while forming rapid-response teams to reach critical points. Provincial police deployed 1,356 officers and soldiers, mobilised over 8,000 personnel in total, and used specialised vehicles to quickly evacuate residents. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Vang noted: “When residents sought shelter at the headquarters, the unit immediately arranged nearly 300 mats, 500 blankets, medicines and essential goods. Fifty mattresses were prioritised for the elderly, pregnant women and newborns.”
On November 21, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung held a working session with leaders of Lam Dong Province regarding post-disaster recovery. He requested that the Ministry of Finance immediately provide Lam Dong with 1,000 tonnes of rice, ensuring support for at least three months, and delivered 200 billion VND from the Government to assist the province in overcoming losses.
On the same day, the Deputy Prime Minister and the working delegation inspected post-flood recovery efforts, met with residents in D’Ran Commune, and examined conditions along the Prenn and Mimosa Passes, which remain closed due to landslides. Initial estimates show flood damage in Lam Dong exceeding 1 trillion VND.
As of midday November 21, the storm No. 13 and subsequent flooding in Dak Lak Province had left 19 people dead, 6 missing; more than 400 houses completely destroyed; over 13,800 homes damaged; more than 85,700 houses inundated; over 12,800 households isolated and more than 15,300 households evacuated. Functional forces had rescued more than 500 people from dangerous areas. Nguyen Thien Van, Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People’s Committee, stated that the province was maximising available forces and social resources to open access routes and ensure residents were not isolated for too long. On November 21, the provincial People’s Committee declared a state of emergency in 40 communes and wards.
On November 21, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung worked with Lam Dong Province on post-disaster recovery. He instructed the Ministry of Finance to provide 1,000 tonnes of rice and delivered 200 billion VND to support recovery. On the same day, he inspected affected areas, encouraged residents, and assessed landslide-prone routes such as Prenn and Mimosa Passes. Initial losses in Lam Dong exceed 1 trillion VND.
Also on the same day, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long visited Gia Lai Province to direct local post-disaster efforts. Sharing deep sympathy for the losses and recognising the proactive and determined actions of local authorities and armed forces in disaster response, he requested the province to focus on food, medicine and essential supplies for residents, and urgently restore health stations and schools to ensure medical care and learning conditions. He also requested Gia Lai to fully compile losses, including those of enterprises, to support appropriate tax, credit and loan policies.
The warmth of national solidarity
On November 20 and 21, units under Dak Lak Provincial Police coordinated with businesses and donors inside and outside the province to collect tens of tonnes of food and essential goods, as well as clothing and blankets. Relief trucks were dispatched along multiple routes to deliver supplies to flood-hit areas.
At noon on November 21, under heavy rain at 10/3 Square in Buon Ma Thuot Ward, Lieutenant Colonel Ly Van Ket, Deputy Head of the Mobile Police Division of Dak Lak Provincial Police, together with dozens of officers, assisted volunteer groups in loading supplies onto vehicles for immediate transport. He said: “With the spirit of ‘loving others as we love ourselves,’ dozens of our officers remain on duty to assist donors in loading supplies so they can reach residents as quickly as possible.” Nguyen Thuy Thanh, Chairwoman of the Ao Dai Heritage Club of Dak Lak Province, said the club had mobilised around 100 million VND and tonnes of food and essential goods for flood-hit residents in recent days.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long visited Gia Lai Province to direct post-disaster recovery and emphasised the need for adequate food, medicine and essential supplies. He also requested rapid restoration of health stations and schools. Gia Lai must fully compile losses for appropriate support policies regarding tax, credit and bank loans.
In Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province, on November 21, Naval Region 4 and the local Fatherland Front cooked and delivered 800 hot meals to isolated households. They also mobilised instant noodles, rice, eggs and dried food for affected residents. In southern Khanh Hoa, the “Zero-Dong Kitchen” model launched by teacher Ngo Sy Long of Tran Hung Dao Secondary and High School and the group “Teachers and Friends” on Facebook prepared more than 3,000 meals for severely flooded areas. At the kitchen at Do Vinh Kindergarten, teacher Bui Thi Thuy of Le Hong Phong Secondary School said: “We are not professional cooks, but we cannot stand still when our people are trapped in floods.” Le Huyen, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee, said that recent days had seen strong nationwide support for flood-stricken central and Central Highlands provinces. The province allocated an additional 112 billion VND from its budget to purchase food, supplies and essentials for residents and to address storm and flood damage.
In Gia Lai, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thanh of Quy Nhon Nam Ward coordinated with the volunteer group “Thanh Binh Zero-Dong Bus” from Ho Chi Minh City to deliver hundreds of meal boxes and bottled water to deeply flooded areas such as Quy Nhon Bac and Quy Nhon Dong. The Gia Lai Tourism Association and many businesses and donors also provided financial support, including petrol for rescue boat teams. According to Gia Lai Provincial Police, two Facebook accounts, “Sunny Tran” and “Loi Nguyen”, provided 12,000 meal boxes and essential goods to residents of Quy Nhon Bac during the night of November 20 and the morning of November 21. The provincial Fatherland Front reported that relief goods delivered to flooded communes were worth about 1.5 billion VND, while registered donations totalled 163 billion VND, including 40 tonnes of goods from the Ministry of Public Security and 5 tonnes of rice from the petrol company, as well as essential items such as bottled water, milk, instant noodles, dried food, rice paper, life jackets, raincoats and medicines.
“I have lived almost my entire life and have never seen such a big, deep flood. My home is completely submerged. Fortunately, soldiers rescued us and brought food; otherwise my family would not know how to survive.”
Eighty-four-year-old Nguyen Han (Binh Kien Ward)
On November 21, units under the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and Military Region 5 urgently provided tonnes of food and essential goods, mobilising armoured vehicles, canoes and motorboats to distribute supplies directly to residents. Military Region 5 deployed specialised forces and armoured vehicles to deliver thousands of relief packages. A team led by Colonel Cao Van Muoi, Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Region 5, transported more than 3,000 parcels of instant noodles, dried food, drinking water and essential goods, including 3 tonnes of dried rations from Military Region 5.
Receiving relief packages, 84-year-old Nguyen Han of Binh Kien Ward was moved to tears: “I have lived almost my entire life and have never seen such a big, deep flood. My home is completely submerged. Fortunately, soldiers rescued us and brought food; otherwise my family would not know how to survive.”
To support residents in the most severely affected areas of Quy Nhon Dong and Quy Nhon Bac in Gia Lai Province, Senior Lieutenant General Truong Thien To, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Viet Nam People’s Army, visited and presented gifts. The delegation delivered 100 relief packages, each including 2 million VND in cash and essential goods. Military Region 5 donated 50 packages (2.5 million VND each) and provided 5 tonnes of dried food for flood-hit residents in Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa.
*** Promoting the tradition of “the good leaves protect the torn leaves”, on November 21 the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front organised a fundraising ceremony calling on Vietnamese people inside and outside the country, agencies, organisations and businesses to support flood-hit residents and help them overcome difficulties and stabilise their lives.
