€200,000 in humanitarian aid has been disbursed by the European Commission to assist victims of flooding in Laos, the institution announced on Tuesday 31 July. This is initial emergency aid for the families that have been the hardest hit by the collapse of the section of the hydroelectric dam of Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy in the south of the country.
The assistance will be channelled through the International Federation of the Red Cross, a partner of ECHO, the humanitarian aid and civil protection service of the Commission. It will cover the most urgent needs of the stricken families – drinking water, shelter, hygiene and housing repair kits, the Commission explains in a press release.
These are the worst floods the country has experienced in the last ten years, with a heavy toll in terms of human losses – 19 dead and more than 130 unaccounted for. The flooding affected more than 11,000 people and has left more than 3,000 displaced, according to UN estimates, and has caused considerable damage to housing and infrastructure – schools, hospitals, irrigation systems and agricultural land. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)