Thousands of households in Lai Chau Province's Muong Te District are still isolated a week after the devastating floods and landslides that caused severe damage to the area, while food supply is becoming difficult.

A report on July 1 said that more than 50 villages in the district were still isolated while all the roads were still blocked by mud and debris. Walking is the only way to reach these areas. Prices of essential goods are beginning to increase due to short supply.

It takes more than an hour to walk to Phi Chi A Village which suffered the most during the disaster. The only road to the village was completely damaged, cutting off the connection with the outside world. 

According to Lo Xa Xe, a local shop owner, the prices of essential foods including instant noodles, rice, eggs have all increased but he does not have enough goods to sell. Xe had to mobilise all of his seven family members and relatives to carry goods to his place. They tried hard but only transported over a dozen packets of noodles, eggs, and some other goods. The limited amount of goods can serve only part of the local need for just one or two days.

Pan Phi Chong, Vice Chairman of Pa Ve Su commune, confirmed that, due to traffic blockage, goods storage in the commune has run out. More than 600 households with about 2,000 people in the commune are living in difficulties following the floods.

Not only Pa Ve Su, other communes of Mu Ca, Thu Lung, Pa U and Ta Pa are also isolated. Local authorities have mobilised all means to remove the landslides and make temporary roads to facilitate people’s travel. 

According to Mai Van Thach, Chairman of Muong Te District's People's Committee, the damage to local traffic is huge. At present, the district will focus on clearing the roads to the centres but it could take half a month.

Thach stressed that now they can meet some of the needs of the local people; however, if the situation lasts for some 20 days, the essential goods will not be enough to serve them.

The floods which occurred between June 23-26 claimed 16 lives while leaving 15 others injured and 9 missing in Lai Chau Province. Dozens of households have been displaced, while many houses and roads have collapsed. Total losses are estimated at nearly VND338 billion (USD14.90 million).

Statistics from the local Steering Committees for Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue showed that the whole province still has ten communes with over 100 hamlets and thousands of households still temporarily isolated due to floods.

Dan Viet/Dtinews