First published by Ohmynews on 2006-10-04 15:14 (KST)
According to the U.S. embassy in Hanoi, on Tuesday U.S. Charge D'affaires to Hanoi Jonathan M. Aloisi, on behalf of the U.S. government and people, expressed his sympathy to the victims of typhoon Xangsane. He also offered aid to help Vietnam overcome the damage.
"I am very sorry to hear news about the loss of life and damage caused by Typhoon Xangsane. On behalf of the American people, please accept my deepest sympathy. We wish to express our sincere condolences and pray for the victims of the Xangsane and their relatives. We hope those who are missing will be found in the soonest time," Aloisi said.
"We'll never forget the generosity of the Vietnamese people at our difficult time after Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. is willing to provide aid to help Vietnam overcome the natural disaster consequences," he added.
When Hurricane Katrina swept through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama of the U.S., killing more than 1,300 people and causing damage worth more than US$200 billion, the Vietnamese people and the Fatherland Front of Vietnam organized a campaign to raise funds to help those affected. Former U.S. presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton wrote a letter to the then Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, expressing gratitude to the government and the people of Vietnam for helping Katrina victims.
Now, the U.S. wants to return the generosity.
Earlier, the Czech Republic President, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, donated US$100,000 to help Xangsane victims.
As of Oct. 3, Typhoon Xangsane has caused great damage to the central provinces of Vietnam. According to Le Huy Ngo, chairman of the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control, the damage is greater than expected. The typhoon has claimed the life of at least 24 people and injured thousand others. Besides, it also caused economic damage worth trillions of VND (16,200 VND = $1). More than 200 anchored ships were swamped during the storm.
Danang is the hardest hit city with 22 deaths and nearly 1,000 injured, mainly due to falling walls, flying roofs, and uprooted trees. The City Hospital of Danang has been overloaded by injured. The economic damage in Danang city alone worth estimated at about 32 trillion Vietnamese dong ($2 billion). Tens of thousands of people were made homeless. After the storm, they returned to their home only to find that there was nothing left. At the time of this writing, running water and electricity had yet to be restored.
The Government announced a plan to spend VND50 billion ($3 million) and provide 1,500 tons of rice to aid typhoon-affected victims. Tens of thousands of soldiers and police have been mobilized to help civilians rebuild their home and settle into a new life. Individuals and organizations around the country have donated billions of Vietnamese dong to help the victims and homeless.
Vietnam Airline has resumed domestic flights and all train routes between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been reconnected.
According to the U.S. embassy in Hanoi, on Tuesday U.S. Charge D'affaires to Hanoi Jonathan M. Aloisi, on behalf of the U.S. government and people, expressed his sympathy to the victims of typhoon Xangsane. He also offered aid to help Vietnam overcome the damage.
"I am very sorry to hear news about the loss of life and damage caused by Typhoon Xangsane. On behalf of the American people, please accept my deepest sympathy. We wish to express our sincere condolences and pray for the victims of the Xangsane and their relatives. We hope those who are missing will be found in the soonest time," Aloisi said.
"We'll never forget the generosity of the Vietnamese people at our difficult time after Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. is willing to provide aid to help Vietnam overcome the natural disaster consequences," he added.
When Hurricane Katrina swept through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama of the U.S., killing more than 1,300 people and causing damage worth more than US$200 billion, the Vietnamese people and the Fatherland Front of Vietnam organized a campaign to raise funds to help those affected. Former U.S. presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton wrote a letter to the then Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, expressing gratitude to the government and the people of Vietnam for helping Katrina victims.
Now, the U.S. wants to return the generosity.
Earlier, the Czech Republic President, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, donated US$100,000 to help Xangsane victims.
As of Oct. 3, Typhoon Xangsane has caused great damage to the central provinces of Vietnam. According to Le Huy Ngo, chairman of the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control, the damage is greater than expected. The typhoon has claimed the life of at least 24 people and injured thousand others. Besides, it also caused economic damage worth trillions of VND (16,200 VND = $1). More than 200 anchored ships were swamped during the storm.
Danang is the hardest hit city with 22 deaths and nearly 1,000 injured, mainly due to falling walls, flying roofs, and uprooted trees. The City Hospital of Danang has been overloaded by injured. The economic damage in Danang city alone worth estimated at about 32 trillion Vietnamese dong ($2 billion). Tens of thousands of people were made homeless. After the storm, they returned to their home only to find that there was nothing left. At the time of this writing, running water and electricity had yet to be restored.
The Government announced a plan to spend VND50 billion ($3 million) and provide 1,500 tons of rice to aid typhoon-affected victims. Tens of thousands of soldiers and police have been mobilized to help civilians rebuild their home and settle into a new life. Individuals and organizations around the country have donated billions of Vietnamese dong to help the victims and homeless.
Vietnam Airline has resumed domestic flights and all train routes between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been reconnected.
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