In October 2020, storm No. 9 made landfall in the central provinces, causing floods and landslide, leading to loss of lives and damage to property. In particular, the mountainous district of Phuoc Son in Quang Nam Province experienced deadly landslides, claiming dozens of lives and burying 230 homes under dark mud. Therefore, the armed forces of Da Nang joined efforts with the municicipal government and socio-political organizations across the city to support the building of 5 flood-resistant houses for poor people in Phuoc Son District in order to help them have a safe and stable place to stay.

Leaders of the Da Nang Military Command handed over flood-resistant houses to poor people in Phuoc Son District, Quang Nam Province. Photo: A. D

The storm triggerd flooding in Phuoc Thanh, Phuoc Loc and Phuoc Kim communes, Phuoc Son District, Quang Nam Province, leaving 105 homes damaged. As a result, more than 1,000 affected people moved to temporary housing, and they were supported with food and supplies by organizations and individuals. Therefore, the biggest desire of the local authorites was to help flood-affected families settle down in their new houses. Hence, the Da Nang Military Command donated VND 350 million to support the building of 5 flood-resistant houses for families whose houses fully collapsed to the ground after the storm.

These new homes feature solid walls, ceramic tile flooring, and corrugated metal roofs, plus iron frames that can withstand hurricane and tornado force winds while they have a total usable area of ​​nearly 80 square metres each. It costed VND 400 million to build such a house, of which, VND 70 million was funded by the Da Nang Military Command while the remainder came from their owners and local authorities. These houses were considered as meaningful gifts for poor people in the moutainous district of Phuoc Son in a bid to motivate and inspire them in difficult times.

"Local residents are still living under difficult conditions as they depend on cultivation on upland fields on rocky mountains and hilly land or hiring to plow fields for their livehoods as well as they face a signifant shortage of farmland. The flood-resistant houses helped them improve their living conditions and stay safe in severe weather during the rainny season”, Mr Ta Van Thuong, the Secretary of the Phuoc Thanh Commune Party Committee said.

Colonel Tran Van Ban, the Deputy Political Commissar of the Da Nang Military Command highlighted the importance of the building of storm-resistant houses to moutain residents as such houses will help protect life and property from extreme weather and and wind events. This will faciliate Phuoc Son District, and remote areas in Quang Nam Province as a whole, to fulfill criteria set by the National Target Programme on New-Style Rural Area Building as soon as possible.

Reporting by ANH DUC – translating by H.L