Northern Vietnam flood victims left homeless, still recovering

Above: A young girl stands on a location where just a few days ago four homes were located. Almost all the building structures and contents are gone, disappeared in the swift flash flood waters.

The flooding happens so fast that and so many lose their lives there has been little time to think about the loss of worldly possessions, says one villager. The magnitude of the loss is only now slowly resonating.

Many residents, like those pictured above, find sanctuary at the Kim Noi Secondary School, about 1 km from where their home once stood.

Mua Thi Thi Chau says she is awaken at 5am by the sounds of water flowing into her house. She and her husband grab their children and are fortunate to have escaped with their lives.

Mua A Giang says he feels great anguish having lost his home as he stands in this photo where his house once stood just a few short days ago.

Above: A woman says her family loses their home, two motorcycles and five pigs. They now have only one pig and two chickens left. They have rice to eat and blankets thanks to charity from neighbours.

This family has only the clothes on their backs and what they have in the plastic bag the mother carries.

In the late evening, traversing the road to the village of Kim Noi is difficult. There is no electricity and the entire region is blanketed with darkness.

The Kim Noi Junior Secondary School has now become a shelter for the homeless. The Yen Bai People’s Committee has provided instant noodles and rice for the flood victims.

A woman still in a state of shock and disbelief sits quietly on a cornerstone of her home that was swept away by the floods.

Flood victims share rice. All of them are saddened by the thought of the difficulties they face over the coming days.