Returning to devastated communities
More than three months after the floods, Xieng Tam village in My Ly commune remains in disarray, with many homes collapsed and buried beneath mud.
Vi Thi Bun, 74, explained that residents have salvaged whatever could be reused. “The collapsed houses, even if dug up, would yield nothing. It’s better to leave them be to avoid unnecessary trouble,” she said.
Her house was severely damaged; sixteen people spent three days excavating it from the mud.
Kha Van Trong, 52, shared that most of his home’s beams and rafters were broken beyond repair. His sturdy stilt house vanished overnight, and his family now lives in a temporary shelter, awaiting resettlement land to rebuild.
“Everything’s gone. We’re starting from scratch and just have to try again,” he said.
Luong Van Bay, Chairman of My Ly Commune People’s Committee, noted that the number of households needing resettlement support has continued to rise following storms No. 5 and No. 10.
Eighty-six families have registered for social housing supported by the Ministry of Public Security. To date, 25 homes have been handed over, with the remainder under urgent construction.
After staying with relatives, Lo Van Thuyet, 39, recently moved into a new house built on his parents’ land with support from the Ministry of Public Security.
According to the Nghe An Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, storms and flooding in 2025 caused damage exceeding 8.5 trillion VND
Following inspections and assessments by the Nghe An Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, the My Ly Commune People’s Committee proposed the development of four resettlement sites to relocate 240 households from disaster-prone areas. These include 105 households in Xieng Tam, 82 in Xang Tren, 17 in Yen Hoa, and 36 in Cha Nga villages.
In Cua Rao 2 village, Tuong Duong commune, the floods swept away the home and possessions of Dau Thi Hoi. The 66-year-old woman, whose husband passed away early and whose children work far away, tearfully recounted her ordeal:
“After fleeing the flood and returning, standing on this side of the bridge looking across, I could only cry, feeling like I had nothing left to hold onto.”
“I feel somewhat at ease now and hope for electricity and water soon,” she said, grateful for the support that enabled her home to be rebuilt.
Nguyen Huu Trung, Head of Cua Rao 2 Village, reported that 12 families suffered housing damage, with five receiving construction support. These families face severe hardship, having lost all their assets and lacking stable employment.
Trung urged authorities to expedite the issuance of land use rights certificates, enabling access to bank loans for rebuilding.
Meeting the growing demand for resettlement
Nguyen Hong Tai, Chairman of Tuong Duong Commune People’s Committee, reported that over 100 homes were swept away by the floods. The Ministry of Public Security has begun constructing 14 of the planned 34 social houses, with the remainder pending suitable land allocation.
According to the Nghe An Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, storms and flooding in 2025 caused damage exceeding 8.5 trillion VND. This includes 634 homes completely destroyed, 868 severely damaged, 2,663 heavily damaged, and over 100,000 homes with roofs torn off.
The Department has issued official requests for communes to assess resettlement needs and propose both concentrated and mixed settlement plans to relocate households from high-risk zones. Reports indicate that 1,998 households across the province currently require relocation.
Nghe An Province intends to allocate approximately 220 billion VND to support post-flood recovery efforts.
In Nhon Mai commune, a landslide on 22 July 2025 buried a shelter and claimed one life in Huoi Co village. Le Hong Thai, Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee, stated that 227 households with 1,207 residents live in high-risk areas.
The commune has proposed relocating 36 households to a concentrated site and arranging mixed settlements for 147 others facing threats from flash floods, debris flows, and landslides.
Vo Thi Nhung, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, confirmed that the Department is working with localities to review and verify resettlement needs. These will be submitted to the Provincial People’s Committee for approval and policy implementation. The province plans to allocate approximately 220 billion VND for relief efforts.
The Nghe An Provincial People’s Committee has also petitioned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for Prime Ministerial support for 21 resettlement projects across 15 communes, aiming to relocate 1,100 households from disaster-prone zones. The total requested funding exceeds 741.85 billion VND.
