Armed forces - steel arms in the midst of fierce floods
The floods that fell on the districts of western Nghe An at the end of July 2025 have caused many areas to fall into complete isolation, many families are in a state of being exposed to the sun. In that context, hundreds of officers and soldiers of Division 324 (Military Region 4), Border Guard, Nghe An Provincial Police... appeared in the flooded area with shovels, raincoats, and underwear in hand, becoming a solid support for the people.
According to the Nghe An Provincial Military Command, 3,643 officers and soldiers were urgently mobilized to the areas of Tuong Duong, Muong Xen, My Ly, Nhon Mai... Many soldiers have been dragged in mud for many days to clear sewers and rescue people's property.
Nghe An Provincial Police also deployed 1,450 officers and soldiers to hot spots such as My Ly, Chieu Luu, Tam Quang... Some units were still severely damaged by floods such as My Ly Commune Police, but officers and soldiers here still resolutely stayed in the area, evacuated people, received and delivered relief goods to people in remote areas.
A particularly touching point is the series of "love flights" organized by the Department of Rescue - Relief (General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army). Mi-17 helicopters have landed many times between flooded villages in Tuong Duong and Muong Xen to supply 28 tons of relief goods - mainly instant noodles, clean water, and medicine. Flights over the rugged terrain to connect the broken rhythm of life in the middle of the mountains and forests.
Joining hands to share - from banh chung to carrying dry food across the stream
While professional forces participated simultaneously, Nghe An people, especially women's union members and youth union members, also contributed in their own ways. In Nga My commune, more than 160 volunteers traveled more than 100km of forest road - many sections had to be walked due to landslides - to reach the flooded areas. They brought vegetables, banh chung, rice, noodles, and hundreds of spoiled but loving gifts.
In Yen Na, Thanh Vinh, Luu Kien communes..., the Women's Union launched a movement "women help women", organized field kitchens and specialized relief packages for members in flooded areas. In that gift bag, it may be just a bunch of vegetables, a blanket, but it is a whole heart that is carefully cut from the rainwater. Many women do not hesitate to wade through the stream, carrying rice to the highlands, as one person said: "I am luckier, if I don't help, I will break my heart".
800 teachers from Nghe An go to relief
The education sector is one of the sectors most severely affected by the flood. According to the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, at least 52 schools were affected, of which 18 were deeply flooded and severely damaged. Initial damage is estimated at hundreds of billions of VND.
A typical example is My Ly 2 Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, which was covered with mud up to 3m deep, the entire school yard and boarding house turned into a mud field, with the amount of mud needed to be cleaned up to 15,000m3. Similar situations occurred at schools in Tam Quang, Yen Tinh, Luong Minh communes...
Not left out, many schools in low-lying areas such as Dien Chau, Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen... have launched the movement of "schools helping schools". More than 10 schools have sent 800 volunteer teachers to the mountains to clean up mud, bring school supplies, rice, drinking water and even... Cups.
Dien Chau 2 High School organized a group of 16 teachers to travel more than 200km to Muong Xen, Tuong Duong. They not only clean the school yard but also help clean people's houses, encourage students who have lost their books and give gifts to encourage them at the beginning of the new school year. Outstanding teacher Nguyen Thi Kieu Hoa - Principal of Nghe An Ethnic Boarding High School shared: "Teaching is a long-term task, but at this time, supporting schools to overcome the consequences of natural disasters is urgent".
In particular, many teachers have proactively donated scholarships and school supplies to promptly support students before the new school year. Book clubs and life skills clubs are also planning to visit damaged schools to reignite the joy of going to class for students after the flood.
In the midst of the rocky and muddy mountains, there is still a lot of rain in schoolyards and fields, but there is one thing that is rising: Responsibility, humanity, and kindness. From that crisis, Nghe An people not only stood up, but also stood up together, to move forward.
