On the morning of September 12, in the incessant pouring rain, the Thao River continued to rise above the level III alarm, due to the influence of the circulation of storm No. 3, convoys of vehicles from many provinces and cities across the country continued to follow each other to Ha Hoa district, where thousands of houses were submerged in water due to the historic flood, thousands of households were having to temporarily take shelter from the flood and needed to share the hardships. That vivid image helped us to feel more deeply and be grateful for the two words "compatriots".
Food, drinks and necessities are transported to people in flood-hit areas.
In that convoy, there were vehicles carrying the green uniforms of Uncle Ho's soldiers who stopped and stood ready to brave the rain to quickly clear the way for other vehicles. It was very touching to witness with my own eyes a large truck carrying fishing boats from Quang Binh to support the people in the flooded area of Ha Hoa when hearing that their people were flooded and isolated, the only means of transport at that time was a boat to deliver food and drinks. Many vehicles carrying life jackets, flashlights and other necessities not only stopped in Ha Hoa but also went to Yen Bai, Lao Cai provinces... where many people were facing even more difficulties and hardships.
Arriving at the flood area, we easily noticed that the green shirts of Uncle Ho's soldiers, police, volunteer youths and other forces working together to transport people and property to safety were prominent in the work of supporting the evacuation of people. Many police officers, soldiers, militiamen... had red, sore hands from moving property to help people, some were slightly injured.
It is even more touching to witness the images and spirit of mutual love of our compatriots everywhere turning to the North. Many working delegations from provinces and cities such as Da Nang, Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, Ha Tinh... have set off to the North. In addition to visiting, encouraging, and providing spiritual and material support, the Central and Southern provinces also support and help localities cope with and overcome the consequences of floods. Thousands of life jackets, boxes of instant noodles, banh chung... were packaged and transported by localities and individuals to support people in key areas affected by storms and floods...
Quang Binh fishermen's vehicle carrying boats to support flood victims in Ha Hoa district
Volunteer groups also called for and gathered volunteers to contribute and support boats, life jackets, food and provisions for people affected by storms and floods. In the pouring rain, under the gray sky, we suddenly felt warm when we saw the eyes of people in the flooded areas still shining with faith, perhaps because our compatriots across the country had brought them not only material values but also more precious spiritual values, feelings of sharing and love. That seemed to bring them faith and hope to dispel the confusion and shock after having just experienced a fierce flood.
As of September 14, the Provincial Fatherland Front has received over 50 billion VND in support from organizations and individuals (of which the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front supported 30 billion VND) to promptly support localities affected by natural disasters to stabilize their lives. The Provincial Red Cross Society has guided over 60 volunteer groups to provide direct support in flooded areas, with a total relief and support value of over 3 billion VND.
The Association received goods and necessities including banh chung, instant noodles, rice, milk, water, dry food... worth 1.68 billion VND, the amount of cash received was 411.2 million VND. The spirit of solidarity, compatriotism, and mutual love was strengthened and spread strongly.
As I sit down to write these lines, I receive a text message from an acquaintance from the flooded area: “You must be very busy today. Thanks to the press and social media, many relief vehicles have come to my hometown. Many vehicles even passed by my house to Yen Bai and Lao Cai. Every time I see the rescue vehicles passing by, I am so moved that I cry.”
On the morning of September 15, following the direction of the Politburo, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference to propose urgent solutions to overcome the consequences of storm No. 3, quickly stabilize the people's situation, restore production and business, and promote growth. Those attending the conference that day were moved to tears when hearing about the damage caused by storm No. 3, especially when mentioning the people of Nu village, Phuc Khanh commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province, where flash floods and landslides caused many human losses... and the Prime Minister burst into tears.
At that moment, I realized that it was not by chance that while reading the Declaration of Independence in Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh stopped and asked kindly: "Can you hear me clearly, compatriots?". Researchers have pointed out that "compatriots" occupies a special place in Ho Chi Minh's works. In 1945 and 1946 alone, especially when the country was in a "life-threatening" situation, he wrote 20 letters titled "To compatriots".
In Uncle Ho's letter to the Southern Ethnic Minorities Congress in Pleiku on April 19, 1946, he wrote: "The Kinh or Tho, Muong or Man, Gia Rai or E De, Xe Dang or Ba Na and other ethnic minorities are all descendants of Vietnam, all blood brothers. We live and die together, we are happy and miserable together, we help each other in hunger and fullness."
The two words "compatriots" are loyal and steadfast, creating the strength to help Vietnam overcome all hardships and challenges in the process of building and defending the country and creating many brilliant miracles in the period of innovation and peak integration. A clear proof is that in the midst of the fierce COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Vietnamese nation has tightened solidarity, joined hands and united to fight the pandemic. From there, helping the whole country successfully achieve the dual goal of "both fighting the pandemic and developing the economy", making the world admire.
In the fight against the recent historic super typhoon and flood, more than ever, hundreds of millions of Vietnamese hearts at home and abroad beat together, expressing their mutual love and compassion, "loving others as you love yourself", towards the North. Overcoming losses, during and after the natural disaster, we see more clearly the sacred value and gratitude for the two words "compatriots".
Only a few days left until the 70th anniversary of Uncle Ho's visit to Hung Temple (September 19, 1954 - September 19, 2024). During the days of natural disasters, we still hear Uncle Ho's words echoing somewhere: "The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country. We, uncles and nephews, must work together to protect the country". Reality has proven that storms and floods can sweep away lives and material wealth, but they cannot shake the spirit of solidarity and compatriotism to overcome difficulties, hardships and challenges together, contributing to building a strong and prosperous Vietnam, and making our people increasingly happy and prosperous.
Trinh Ha
Source: https://baophutho.vn/biet-on-hai-chu-dong-bao-219100.htm
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