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| Vietnamese and American military personnel work side by side to stack pallets from the two U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft (one in the background) which just delivered flood relief supplies to the city of Hue. |
When six provinces of Vietnam's central region suffered the worst floods in a century, U.S. Forces based in the Pacific worked fast to provide a rapid response to the needs of the Vietnamese people.
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The badly needed supplies included U.S.-donated blankets, water containers, plastic sheeting for temporary shelters, and other relief items. Cooking and sanitation supplies and funds to help build 2,727 storm-resistant houses in the flood-prone area would follow this aid. |
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In early November 1999, five days of torrential rains affected an area that stretched 350 miles (563 km), depriving 7.1 million Vietnamese citizens of safe drinking water, food, and, in many cases, even homes. The floods killed nearly 600 people and caused damage estimated at $265 million. Vietnam estimated that 205,000 tons of food, primarily rice, was destroyed and 25,000 cows and water buffaloes were killed. About 637,200 homes were damaged or swept away, 1,800 schools and 76 hospitals and clinics were destroyed or damaged, and 1,260 fishing boats were destroyed. The rail line and highway to the region were cut off for a week. Almost one million people were left homeless.
