The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on September 20 announced that it has allocated 2 million USD to support Vietnam in carrying out efforts to respond to Typhoon Yagi, which struck the country on September 7 and caused widespread devastation with more than 290 deaths and 237,000 homes damaged, and some 3 million people affected.

Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya said in a statement that the aid from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) aims to kickstart the humanitarian response in support of the Vietnamese Government's efforts.

The funding will go to the International Organisation for Migration, the UN Development Programme, and UNICEF to meet immediate life-saving needs in the worst affected provinces of Yen Bai and Lao Cai.

The CERF-funded response will focus on emergency shelter and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance focusing on communities with high levels of pre-existing vulnerabilities to meet the needs of the people hardest hit by this disaster, said the statement./.VNA