With the goal of leaving no one behind, ensuring that every resident has a warm Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration in 2025, Quang Yen township in the northern province of Quang Ninh, which was hard hit by Super Typhoon Yagi in early September 2024, has mobilised social resources and allocated budget funds to promptly assist people in repairing and rebuilding homes, especially for households affected by the typhoon.
Dream houses
Nguyen Thi Chi, born in 1960 in the township’s Hiep Hoa commune, is still in shock as she recalls the moment when Yagi hit Quang Ninh, severely damaging her family's home. After the storm, the elderly couple and their disabled son had to live in a temporary shelter beside the debris of their destroyed house.
Fortunately, after the government introduced a policy to support the repair and rebuilding of homes damaged by the storm, Chi's family received 50 million VND (1,970 USD) from the provincial authorities. Her children also came together to build a new two-room house for their parents and sick sibling.
Sharing the joy of having a new home, Vu Thi Nu, also in Hiep Hoa commune, said that before Super Typhoon Yagi, her house had already deteriorated, but her family could not afford to rebuild it.
After the typhoon, thanks to government policies, her family received 100 million VND from the provincial People's Committee, and 60 million VND from the provincial Red Cross Society, along with support from relatives and neighbours to build a new house.
When Yagi passed, Quang Yen reviewed and identified 78 households that met the conditions for assistance, including 14 near-poor households and 64 households living in difficult circumstances. The local authorities then assessed and provided support for 23 households to build new homes, while the remaining 55 received assistance for repairs, with a total funding of over 5 billion VND.
To date, 100% of the households have started house construction or repairs, and it is expected that the work will be completed before the Lunar New Year 2025.
Timely policies
Nguyen Hong Viet, Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Tien An commune, stated that one of the criteria for Quang Yen township to become a city by 2025, as planned, is ensuring social welfare for the residents.
Last year, the commune successfully implemented a programme to do away with temporary houses for local households, ensuring that people have stable living conditions to support their social development.
Vu Duc Hao, Director of the township Office of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, said that, according to a resolution issued on September 23, 2024 by the provincial People’s Council, regarding measures to assist with the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yagi in Quang Ninh, the level of support has been increased from 50 million VND to 100 million VND for new house construction, and from 20 million VND to 50 million VND for house repairs.
The new support levels have provided additional motivation for households affected by the storm to strive further to gather money needed for rebuilding and repairing their homes, ensuring they can celebrate Tet safely and warmly.
In addition, Quang Yen has also developed a detailed plan to visit and present gifts to policy families, near-poor households, beneficiaries, people with disabilities, workers, labourers, and civil servants facing difficulties.
According to the Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, over the past three years, the township has allocated a large portion of its budget, alongside mobilising social contributions, to support those in need during the Lunar New Year, with the goal of ensuring no one is left behind, and every family and individual can enjoy a warm and safe Tet.
Along with Quang Yen, other localities in Quang Ninh province, except for Mong Cai city and Hai Ha district which were not affected by the storm, have completed the work of supporting the construction and repairs of homes for 410 poor, near-poor, and disadvantageous households, with a total funding of over 24 billion VND. Of these, 74 households received support for new houses, and 336 had their homes repaired./.
