​(KPL)​The relief initiative targets more than 2,000 residents across four hard-hit villages in Champhone District—Nakathang, Sithong, Dongmakko, and Nong-nhama—where consecutive tropical storms in September and October left fields under water for over a month.

​Under the initiative, eligible residents received direct cash payouts of 1,350,000 Kip per person. WFP officials said the direct cash model gives families the flexibility to address their most pressing recovery needs immediately.

​"Families can use the funds to buy nutritious food, ensure their children stay in school, purchase seeds and livestock to restore agricultural production, repair damaged shelters, or cover medical expenses," said Lalongkone Chanthamaly, Disaster Preparedness and Response Officer for WFP Laos. "While the assistance amount is modest, it offers vital short-term relief."

​For local families, the aid provides a crucial lifeline after weeks of ruined harvests.

​"Our family has never received assistance on this scale before," said Thongma Sithanongsak, a resident of Nakathang Village who lives with six family members. "We will use the money to buy rice. Repeated heavy rains and flooding inundated our farmland for over a month, destroying our crops."

​Moving forward, the U.N. agency plans to collaborate with local authorities and Laos' Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to bolster disaster preparedness and climate resilience across vulnerable rural communities.

KPL