HAI PHONG, 25 January 2022 – The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam’s Office of Defense Cooperation Chief Major Wei Yuan formally handed over the Hai Phong Disaster Management Coordination Center to Mr. Do Gia Khanh, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Deputy Chief of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control, and Search and Rescue of the City of Hai Phong. This is the 13th disaster management coordination center that the United States and Vietnam are building together as a part of a concerted effort to strengthen Vietnam’s response and resilience in its disaster-prone coastal regions. Mr. Khanh, in his speech, said this project is “a symbol of cooperation and friendship and a very meaningful gift from the people of the U.S. to the people of Vietnam.”
The disaster management coordination center is designed to help the province direct evacuation of vulnerable homes, stockpile emergency relief, and respond in the aftermath of storms by deploying and communicating with responders in the most hard-hit areas. Since 2009, the U.S. Government, through the Overseas Humanitarian Disaster Assistance and Civic Action program, has contributed over $40 million to construct schools, clinics, bridges in many towns and villages, and provide medical equipment throughout Vietnam.
