Awash

The news from central Vietnam today is pretty bad - the typhoon has hit Hoi An and Hue with unusual ferocity. There's not much news at the moment, as power lines and telephones are down, but mobile phones are still working so we're staying in contact with our people on the ground as much as we can.

In Hue, many families have had their homes partly destroyed by the winds: rooves have been blown away, and families in shacks have lost everything. We're going to need to build some houses once the storms have passed.

In Hoi An, the situation is even more urgent. A dam wall collapsed, causing an unexpected and sudden flood of most of the town. The 30 kids at the Hoi An Children's Home are trapped on the 2nd floor of their building; the water rose so suddenly that many of their belongings and equipment belonging to the Home are irretrievably lost. It's heartbreaking, but the good news is that our kids and staff are all safe.

I'm hoping to write more on Saturday, when I have some more info. In the meantime, if anyone is able to pledge support, we're going to need to act fast once the wind and waters recede. Email me at bluedragon@bdcf.org, or contact Amy on info@bdcf.org. So many crises have hit the region that it's going to be tough to raise some funds, but every bit will help.

Check in again on the weekend for an update.

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