The storm made landfall in the north of the country on Saturday with winds of up to 213 kilometres per hour, causing severe flooding and landslides and forcing the evacuation of more than 50,000 people.
At least 179 people, including children, were reported dead on Wednesday, with several hundred injured and more than 47,500 homes damaged or destroyed.
“The power and intensity of the typhoon has left a trail of catastrophic consequences, severely affecting millions of families in both coastal and mountainous and hard-to-reach areas,” said the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a bulletinwhich was released late Monday evening.
The agency estimates that 5.5 million children are among the 19 million people living in the worst-affected regions.
Coordinated response
In response, authorities have launched a massive relief effort, mobilizing more than 438,000 civil servants, soldiers, disaster management experts and volunteers.
The government has also called for the support of all disaster management and humanitarian actors, including UNICEF, to bolster the response.
UNICEF is actively working with UN agencies and partners to assess needs and provide urgent support in areas such as child protection, water and sanitation, nutrition, health and education.
“A supply plan has been activated to mobilize pre-positioned essential supplies“, at the national level and in warehouses in the region, and through (our) global delivery department, if necessary,” the agency added.
© UNICEF/Pham Ha Duy Linh
Damage caused by Typhoon Yagi in Cam Pha, a major port in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam.
Path of destruction
Typhoon Yagi also caused devastation in neighboring countries, with casualties and damage reported in the Philippines and China.
According to national disaster authorities, 21 people have died in the Philippines, with 26 people still missing as of Wednesday.
In China, media reported that four people were killed and about a hundred injured on Hainan Island in the south.
The combined effects of the monsoon and tropical storms also caused flash flooding in northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand.
