IMMEDIATE
RELEASE

Casey
Calamusa


206.310.5476

Thousands
evacuated
as
storm
nears
Vietnam

September
29,
2009‐‐World
Vision
staff
in
the
path
of
Typhoon
Ketsana—which
is

now
sweeping
through
central
Vietnam—report
thousands
of
people
have
been

evacuated
to
safety
amidst
warnings
of
flooding.


The
organization
has
observed
the
evacuation
of
residents
of
coastal
areas
in
Quang

Tri
province
to
safer
locations.
The
government
has
shut
down
airports,
schools
and

power
as
part
of
its
early
warning
procedures
in
the
Danang
area.


World
Vision
staff
have
pre‐positioned
relief
supplies
to
assist
those
most
impacted

by
the
storm.
Seven
hundred
families
who
were
evacuated
have
already
received

small
packs
of
food
from
the
relief
organization
to
help
them
through
the
disaster.

However,
there
are
already
reports
of
heavy
rains
and
flooding.
“Danang
is

predicted
to
be
in
the
eye
of
the
storm.
It’s
very
windy
and
trees
have
already
blown

down,”
said
Le
Van
Duong,
World
Vision’s
emergency
response
coordinator
in

Danang.
“We
have
seen
the
evacuation
of
3,000
families
from
our
project
areas
to

safer
places,
including
schools,
and
we
have
already
distributed
noodle
packs
to
700

families.”

Danny
Selvanayagam,
National
Director
of
World
Vision
in
Vietnam,
said:


“We
believe
the
communities
we
work
in
are
well
prepared
for
disasters.
World

Vision
works
closely
with
the
government
and
local
authorities
to
ensure
that
those

in
the
paths
of
storms
receive
early
warnings
through
various
means,
including

radio,
TV
and
community
loud
speakers.
We
feel
that
people
were
made
well
aware

of
the
approaching
typhoon
and
World
Vision
is
well
geared
up
to
respond
to
any

suffering
that
may
result.”

Some
200,000
people
have
been
evacuated
from
low‐lying
areas
to
safer,
higher

places,
including
to
school
buildings
and
community
centers.
The
Ministry
of

Defense
is
on
standby
for
rescue
and
international
organizations
are
coordinating

together
to
handle
the
response.

World
Vision
Vietnam
has
a
long
history
of
conducting
disaster
preparedness

activities
in
central
Vietnam
which
is
prone
to
monsoon
floods,
including
helping

people
to
evacuate,
running
simulations
and
even
helping
people
get
to
their

rooftops
for
safety.
Within
the
storm
path,
the
humanitarian
organization
has
90

staff
and
operates
12
community‐level
projects
working
with
more
than
25,000

children
and
their
families.

Additionally,
World
Vision
is
working
to
address
the
needs
of
thousands
of

survivors
in
Manila
after
the
storm
devastated
the
city.
Staff
in
Laos
and
Cambodia

are
also
on
alert.