Several thousand people in Attapeu province are still homeless more than a month after tropical storm Ketsana hit the southern province, according to the National Assembly member for Attapeu.
Constituency 17’s Ms Vatsady Khotyotha described the unprecedented destruction wreaked by the storm on the province’s socio-economic development to local media present at the Lao National Assembly in Vientiane yesterday.
She is attending the 8th session of the 6th Legislature of the Lao National Assembly, which is scheduled to run until the end of this month.
Ms Vatsady, who is also the Deputy Party Secretary of Attapeu province, said most of the homeless people were poor and did not have money to rebuild their homes.
She said the provincial authorities had agreed to mobilise funds and manpower to help homeless people rebuild. They estimated about 400 simple houses would be built in five districts of the province.
Each house would cost about 18 million kip, she said, adding that the provincial authorities would provide construction materials including zinc roofs and wood as well as manpower.
“We are mobilising youth groups to rebuild houses,” she told reporters.
She said the government has ordered provincial authorities to cut down 12,000 cubic metres of trees for use as building materials.
One of the major challenges faced by the people of Attapeu province is a shortage of food, as large areas of farmland and livestock were destroyed by flooding.
She said provincial authorities planned to buy 14,000 tonnes of rice, which would ensure there would be enough food for Ketsana victims over the next three months.
She also said the provincial authorities were waiting for a budget from the central government to rebuild the irrigation network and basic infrastructure to enable local people to resume agriculture and trade activities.
The government has allocated an emergency fund of 50 billion kip for the provincial authorities to spend on recovery efforts.
Ms Vatsady said that a month after Ketsana struck the lives of local people were starting to return to normal, and communication lines and transport between districts had been reconnected.
Other public utilities including water and electricity supply are now accessible.
Ms Vatsady described the storm as a historic event, but said provincial authorities were trying their hardest to help the victims.
The Lao National Assembly approved a government request on Monday to increase its miscellaneous budget from 50 billion kip to 100 billion kip this fiscal year to help the southern provinces recover from the storm.
The assembly also approved a transfer of 100 billion kip from the government’s reserve fund for rehabilitation in the southern provinces.
By Ekaphone Phouthonesy
November 18, 2009
Vientiane Times
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