Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan and Khanh Hoa provinces have been hit by serious flooding caused by several days of torrential rain, while Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai were less seriously affected, said an official from the Flood and Storm Control Department for Vietnam's central region.

Ten people died in Ninh Thuan only, he added. Dozens of thousands people have lost their houses.

Rainfall in the province has been recorded between 110 and 400 mm, the English-language daily Vietnam News said.

"We have not been able yet to assess precisely the financial cost of the floods. Our priority is to help people in danger," the official said.

"We need urgent help from the government because flooded areas are huge and inhabitated by millions of people."

He said Vietnam's minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo had early Friday travelled to Ninh Thuan province, where some villages are still isolated.

Flood waters are threatening dykes and have swept away shrimp farms. Several thousand hectares of rice fields have been submerged.

Five helicopters, 500 military and 500 policemen have been mobilised to help local authorities reach villages which have been particularly badly hit. Road and rail traffic has been disrupted.

Preventive measures have been taken to anticipate flash floods and landslides provoked by rivers breaking their banks.

According to "Tin Tuc" (Information) newspaper, non-governemental and UN agencies have already provided help for a total amount of 280.000 dollars.

It is the second time within weeks the region has been hit by torrential floods. At least 44 people died in October in the same area.

Tens of thousands of homes have been submerged and thousands of hectares of crops washed away as a result of the heavy rains which have caused an estimated 18 million dollars in damage.

Last month, World Bank said Vietnam had to improve its water resources management notably to help limit the impact of natural disasters.

"Each year natural disasters such as typhoons, storms, floods or drought have extreme effects on people, their livelihood, their agricultural lands, their livestock and their infrastructure," Rohland said.

Natural disasters have cost Vietnam 1.25 billion dollars between 1995 and 2002, he added.

TERRA.WIRE