(KPL) During a relief distribution mission in Savannakhet on November 3, 2026, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Phongxaysack Inthalath outlined the government's approach to disaster preparedness, emphasizing the importance of prevention, effective legal frameworks and clear procedures for responding to emergencies.

He said the government was strengthening national and local disaster management committees and developing plans to establish three regional disaster preparedness and response centres in the northern, central and southern regions to improve emergency response capacity.

Authorities are also working with vulnerable communities to adapt their livelihoods and agricultural activities to changing climate conditions, including identifying alternative income sources for people living in flood-prone areas.

Savannakhet Vice Governor Thongsay Sayavongkhamdy said persistent heavy rainfall throughout 2026 had affected all 13 districts and one municipality in the province.

The flooding affected 17,716 households in 177 villages, impacting more than 47,200 people and damaging nearly 600 hectares of agricultural land. Five people lost their lives, while 44 houses, 38 schools, several health facilities and more than 100 road links were damaged.

Provincial authorities are implementing recovery measures, including the distribution of food and medical supplies. Plans are also being developed to relocate vulnerable communities and strengthen livelihoods in high-risk areas, particularly in Sepon, Phin, Vilabouly and Nong districts. Initial pilot areas are expected to be launched between late 2026 and 2027.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP), in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, the US government and local authorities, is providing cash assistance to vulnerable flood-affected families in Luang Namtha, Savannakhet and Sekong provinces.

Speaking in Dong Mak Fay village, Xaybouly District, WFP Country Director Marc Andre Prost said more than 400,000 people across Laos had been affected by floods, landslides and other weather-related disasters during the monsoon season.

"Together with the US government and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, WFP is helping affected communities recover from disruptions to their lives and livelihoods," he said.

In Xaybouly District, 34 of the district's 52 villages were affected by flooding. Cash assistance is being distributed to vulnerable households in severely affected communities, including Dong Mak Fay, Kaeng Veng and Nong Buathong, based on national poverty criteria.

Recipients have been advised to use the assistance to meet four essential needs: food, medical care, educational materials for children, and basic household and sanitation repairs.

For residents who have lost their homes and livelihoods, the assistance offers much-needed support during the recovery process.

Bounthan Vixay, a resident of Dong Mak Fay village who supports a six-member family, said the assistance would help her buy food and roofing materials after flooding damaged her family's home and agricultural production.

"I feel very happy and emotional. I have never received assistance like this before," she said.

Another villager, Bounkee Thuermany, said floodwaters had completely destroyed her family's rice crop. She plans to use the cash assistance to buy food, cover transportation costs and purchase school supplies for her children.

The support is expected to help affected families meet their immediate needs while rebuilding their livelihoods and recovering from the devastating floods.

KPL