Heavy rainfall on 29 and 30 August 2026 caused severe flash floods across several river systems in northern Lao PDR, particularly in two provinces. The floods affected schools, covered school grounds with landslides and damaged textbooks and other materials teachers and students need for learning.
A total of more than 40 educational institutions were affected across the two provinces, with primary schools accounting for more than half. Textbooks, teacher guides and learning equipment were among the main losses. School buildings, furniture, and electrical systems were also damaged.
The Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES) led the discussions on the emergency response to support affected schools. Australia, through the BEQUAL program, as well as Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), responded to MoES’ urgent request to replace lost primary textbooks and learning materials for the affected schools to support the continuation of education.

The support from Australia includes 3,651 textbooks for students from Grade 1 to 5. The textbooks cover the core subjects of Lao Language, Science and the Environment, and English. Australia also provided a wide range of educational and sports materials, including 6,550 notebooks for students and teachers, 6,330 pencils, almost 900 storybooks and practice books, over 500 educational posters, hundreds of sports items such as rattan balls, footballs, volleyballs, and badminton sets. JICA joined the response effort by providing a total of 2,692 primary Mathematics textbooks for all primary students from Grade 1 to 5.
The materials were handed over on 13 October 2026 by Mr. Michael Currie, First Secretary, Australian Embassy and Mr. Nobuyuki Kobe, Senior Representative, JICA Lao PDR Office to Mr. Vilayphone Phommahaxay, Permanent Secretary, Ministry Education and Sports of Lao PDR. 

Mr Vilayphone Phommahaxay said “Having been assigned by the Ministry's leadership, I am deeply honored to represent the Ministry of Education and Sports, as well as Provincial Education and Sports Services of Luang Namtha and Oudomxay, at this ceremony for the handover of assistance to the two provinces. I would like to provide a brief overview of the situation: following the receding of the floodwaters, the affected educational institutions carried out cleaning and repairs so that students could resume their studies. However, some school buildings suffered structural damage caused by erosion and required time for repair or reconstruction. The Provincial Education and Sports Services in both provinces have collaborated with Provincial Disaster Management Committees to assess the damage and develop post-disaster recovery plans. These plans have been submitted to the provincial authorities for inclusion in local recovery agendas. In addition, the Ministry of Education and Sports has allocated emergency construction funds from the Global Partnership for Education Phase 3 (GPE 3) to rebuild the primary school building in Na Teuy Village, Namtha District, Luang Namtha Province. On behalf of the Ministry’s leadership, and in my personal capacity, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Australia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for their continued support of the education sector, including during these challenging times. Even in the face of difficulties caused by natural disasters, education must continue.” 
Mr Michael Currie said: “Australia is pleased to support MoES’s emergency response by providing essential learning materials to flood-affected schools. This assistance reflects the strong partnership between Australia and Lao PDR and forms part of our wider cooperation to strengthen access to quality basic education. By helping schools replace essential learning materials damaged by the floods, we aim to reduce disruption, support teachers and create better conditions for students to continue learning during the recovery period.”
Mr. Nobuyuki Kobe said “JICA is pleased to support the education sector’s response to the floods by providing all grades primary Mathematics textbooks for affected schools. These materials will replace books damaged or destroyed by the floods, help teachers organise lessons and give students the basic resources they need to continue their learning.”