VIENTIANE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government has called for an immediate and detailed assessment of the damage caused by landslides and flooding this rainy season, along with proposals for accelerated recovery efforts.
The issue was discussed during a meeting of the Central Disaster Management Committee, held in the Lao capital Vientiane last Friday, which convened to consider the effects of weather extremes across the country in July and August, Lao People's Army News reported on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Chansamone Chanyalath, who is also the chairman of the Central Disaster Management Committee.
The flooding and landslides in the Southeast Asian country have affected 69 towns, 590 villages and 134,775 people in total, causing two deaths and two injuries.
Chansamone said the provinces of Bolikhamxay, Khammuan and Savannakhet had been the worst affected, while the situation in nine other provinces had been passed to provincial Disaster Management Committees for local governments to assess the extent of the damage and recovery needs.
The results of their assessments will be forwarded to the Central Disaster Management Committee, which will consider the proposals suggested for the restoration of affected communities and infrastructure, especially with regard to vulnerable groups and the provision of humanitarian assistance. ■
