Vientiane (VNA)🦹 – Over two-thirds of Laos has been severely impacted by flooding since July, as 15 out of 18 provinces grapple with the aftermath of four powerful storms, it was reported at a recent conference on disaster recovery.

Initial damage estimates exceed 720 billion LAK (more than 35 million USD), according to General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister, and Chairman of the Central Disaster Management Committee. At the September 24 conference, Vongkham Phanthanouvong, Secretary-General of the Central Disaster Management Committee, detailed the scale of the damage and ongoing relief efforts. He highlighted the importance of efficiently utilising the Disaster Management Fund to support both immediate recovery and long-term resilience. As of September 24, approximately 125 districts, 1,337 villages, and nearly 51,000 families with over 200,000 people, have been affected by the storms. The disasters have resulted in 10 fatalities, with two people still missing. Nearly 1,000 homes have been damaged, alongside thousands of hectares of crops, roads, schools, and critical infrastructure. The hardest hit localities are Luang Namtha province and Vientiane capital. General Chanyalath called for continued vigilance and effective coordination among agencies to accelerate recovery efforts and restore normalcy. He also emphasised the importance of ongoing weather monitoring and raising public awareness to enhance preparedness for future natural disasters/.