There is life after flooding

Thảo’s neighbour drowned in the rising water. Thảo, his wife, two children and mother made it to a temporary shelter just in time. They were saved, but their house, their crops, and their livelihood were ruined.

Hồ Văn Thảo lives in the Quang Tri province of Vietnam. In October 2020, several distinct and severe tropical storms brought prolonged heavy rainfall to the central region of Vietnam, causing widespread flooding and landslides in eight provinces, including Quang Tri.

Thảo is a farmer, and was barely making ends meet selling acacia trees and cassava before the flooding. Unfortunately, the cost of treatment required for a medical condition was an extra burden for this impoverished family.

The flooding disaster, that affected some 1.3 million people, destroyed their livelihood.

“Almost 10 tons of harvested cassava were thrown away – all were rotten because of long-time immersion,” says Thảo. “Heavy rain kept pouring down, then landslide occurred. All crops were swept away by the floodwaters.”

With support from the Government of Canada and the Humanitarian Coalition, CARE Canada provided funds to Thảo and his family to help them start again.

“When we received the money, we decided to buy a goat so that when it gives birth, we will sell the babies and have money to buy rice,” says Thảo. “Both my wife and I made that decision.”

He also explains that the money can be used for living expenses and children’s school tuition. That way, the value of the support they received is long-lasting.

Despite his losses, Hồ Văn Thảo still keeps a smile on his face as he looks forward to the future. He says that we can’t always avoid disasters, but we can find the best way to prepare for them.