Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 30 conveyed a message to mark the 20th year of devastating Typhoon Linda – the worst to strike the Mekong Delta in 100 years, in which he called on people to stay vigilant and play a more active role in response to natural disasters.

The powerful,
unexpected and unusual Typhoon No.5, also known as Linda, tore through the
Mekong Delta, rarely hit by storms, during the night of November 2, 1997, PM
Phuc said in the message.
The typhoon caused heavy losses of life and severe property damages, especially
for Ca Mau province, he recalled, adding that thousands of fishermen and boats
sank at sea while many houses and regional infrastructure were destroyed.
Two decades later, the pain of families who lost kith and kin in the storm is
still there and on behalf of the government, Phuc extends his deepest
condolences and sympathies to all affected people. He also acknowledges the
efforts made by soldiers and disaster response forces in providing relief to
the victims.
The PM went on to say that natural disasters have become much more complicated
and hard to be predicted in recent years while climate change impacts, forest
degradation in coastal protected areas, erosion and sea level rise are among
factors increasing vulnerability when natural disasters hit the delta.
"As lessons learnt from Typhoon Linda, I call on people, soldiers and disaster
response forces nationwide, including from the Mekong Delta, to be vigilant,
get prepared for and proactive in response to natural disasters so as to
minimize losses,” he wrote.
Natural disasters in Vietnam have killed hundreds of people and destroyed
thousands of houses, causing an economic loss of over 35 trillion VND (1.54
billion USD) since the beginning of this year.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, heavy rains and
floods on August 2-3 and October 9-
10 in Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai and Son La
provinces left 91 people dead or missing and 356 houses completely damaged or
lost. It estimated total property losses at over 8.5 trillion VND (377.7
million USD).
Source: VOV
In late March, 29 labourers from Da Bac district were sent to work as seasonal farm workers in Buyeo county, Chungcheongnam province, the Republic of Korea (RoK). Upon arrival, they quickly settled into their jobs, enjoying good working conditions and benefits, with wages aligned with the terms of their signed contracts. The programme is now being expanded, with relevant departments and sectors actively seeking additional seasonal employment opportunities in various localities across the RoK.
Luong Son Industrial Park has invested in standardised wastewater and emissions treatment systems, enforced tight emission controls, reduced noise, dust, and solid waste, and expanded green spaces, contributing to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development.
Hoa Binh police are collecting public feedback on amendments to the 2013 Constitution via the national identification app VNeID. This innovative approach marks a giant leap towards modernising grassroots democracy and enhancing transparency in public consultation.
A total public investment capital of 113 billion VND (over 4.3 million USD) was disbursed for a project to upgrade infrastructure and stabilise residents in the vicinity of the Da River reservoir between 2021 and the first quarter of 2025, giving a facelift to local rural areas and improving the quality of people's life.
Since the end of 2023-2024 academic year, Cu Yen Primary and Secondary School in Luong Son district has deployed e-study records for all of its 500 primary students, said the school principal Nguyen Thi Tuyen.
The Labour Federation of Hoa Binh city has actively worked to protect the rights and welfare of nearly 8,000 local workers and union members at 152 grassroots unions. Through regular dialogues, education campaigns, and welfare programmes, the federation has helped foster stable, progressive labour relations.