HANOI, Vietnam -- Today, Sept. 27, 2017, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Phase II of the Building Resilience to Natural Hazards in Central Vietnam project. Phase II will be implemented by the American Red Cross with five Consortium members: Vietnam Red Cross, Plan International, HelpAge International, Catholic Relief Services, and Save the Children.

With a grant of $1.54 million, Phase II is expected to benefit 37,000 people directly and 200,000 people indirectly in the four target provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Quang Tri by helping them be better prepared for natural disasters. Phase II will utilize a community-based approach to help communities increase their resilience against disasters. Consortium Partners will continue to provide support for the improvement of early warning systems, raise disaster preparedness awareness, and conduct trainings on first aid and search and rescue.

Vietnam remains vulnerable to a host of weather-related risks and climate change impacts, including floods. The recent typhoon Doksuri clearly demonstrated the importance of being prepared and able to effectively respond to disasters. Since 2000, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided more than $20 million to address emergency response needs and disaster risk management activities in Vietnam.