MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Gallus
Australia will contribute $200,000 to help Vietnamese families replace houses
lost in recent flooding, the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mrs
Chris Gallus, announced today.
'Australian assistance will help rebuild more than 200 homes to
flood-resistant standards and provide much needed shelter for food aid and crop
seeds.
'Floods in central Vietnam have caused significant damage to homes and
livelihoods with more than 40,000 houses submerged and nearly 1,000 completely
destroyed,' Mrs Gallus said.
'The poorest members of these communities have been hardest hit and damage to
housing, crops and infrastructure must be addressed to avoid further
difficulties for these people.
'Reconstruction of homes is expected to begin almost immediately and
completed within two months.
'Our assistance will mainly focus on replacing houses in one of Vietnam's
poorest provinces, Quang Ngai, which was severely affected by the flooding and
where Australians are already involved in aid work.
'Australia's contribution will be provided through the United Nations
Development Program, with Catholic Relief Services Vietnam supervising
targeting, design, and reconstruction work,' Mrs Gallus said.
Media contacts:
Shane Fairlie (Mrs Gallus' office) 02 6277 4840 / 0408 680 442
Jo Elsom (AusAID) 02 6206 4960 / 0412 804 489