Luang Namtha:Severe flooding caused by Typhoon Maysak has affected more than 24,800 residents across five districts in Luang Namtha Province, devastating nearly a quarter of the villages.
According to Lao News Agency, the flooding impacted 24,849 people, including 1,654 displaced students. The torrential rains destroyed 12 homes, severely damaged hundreds more, submerged classrooms in 29 schools, disrupted municipal water supplies, ruined 35 rural water systems, and heavily damaged agricultural land and infrastructure. The crisis poses significant challenges, particularly for girls and young women, who face increased risks of gender-based violence, disrupted education, and menstrual hygiene issues.
Plan International Laos is aiding the government-led relief efforts by focusing on food, clean water, and sanitation distributions to 500 affected households, which consist of 2,258 individuals, including 1,064 women, in Luang Namtha District. Mr. Quang Gia Tran of Plan International Laos emphasized the necessity
of supporting entire families to recover from the disaster, which has disrupted access to essential services such as clean water, healthcare, and education.
In collaboration with local and national authorities, Plan International Laos is providing emergency assistance valued at EUR 20,000. The response includes distributing essential food, safe drinking water, and hygiene kits, which contain menstrual hygiene materials for women and girls. Social media campaigns aim to reach about 15,000 people with hygiene promotion. The response will incorporate protection measures, gender and inclusion considerations, and child protection and GBV prevention strategies, coupled with post-distribution monitoring to ensure community needs are met.
Mr. Quang Gia Tran urged donors to support the ongoing relief operations, highlighting the urgent need to protect the rights and dignity of young girls and children during this crisis.
