Deputy PM Inspects Flood Relief Operations in Northern Laos, Directs Recovery Efforts

General Khamlieng Outhakaysone, Member of the Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence and Chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, led a delegation to Oudomxay Province on September 1, 2026, to inspect flood relief and recovery operations. The delegation, including Mr. Phohsay Xayasone, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, coordinated with provincial authorities and disaster management committees and provided 300 million kip in cash and relief supplies worth 633 million kip, totaling 933 million kip in direct support. Additional contributions included 200 million kip from the Ministry of National Defence and 600 million kip from businesses and organizations. Provincial authorities reported that three major flooding incidents in August affected dozens of villages, damaging homes, roads, bridges, agricultural land and essential infrastructure. The August 29–30 floods affected 81 villages in Namor, Xay and Hla districts, with damage assessments still underway. Across the incidents, four people were injured, one person remained missing and one Chinese national was killed. General Khamlieng urged authorities to closely monitor weather and river levels, provide timely warnings, assist affected residents and accelerate repairs to roads, bridges, schools, health facilities, power and water systems, and agricultural areas. He also inspected flood-damaged sites at the Ethnic Boarding School, Ban Bo and Ban Phan. The Lao-Korea Irrigation Development Center, in cooperation with the Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has organized a two-month training programme on irrigation dam stability inspection from September to October 2026. The 103 Hospital and Tahua International Trade Sole Co., Ltd. signed a cooperation agreement on the development of extracorporeal lithotripsy technology in Vientiane on September 1, 2026. The Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (SEADRIF) Insurance Company has paid a total of US$1.1375 million to the Government of the Lao PDR and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) following heavy rainfall and widespread flooding that has affected more than 260,000 people across the country. In a major push to modernise its tourism sector, the Xieng Khuang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, hosted a key dissemination seminar in late August 2026. Temporary shelters in Luang Namtha Province are urgently seeking clean drinking water, food, clothing and other essential supplies after flooding affected 34 villages on August 29–30, 2026. In the context of Laos's single-party system, the country is pursuing infrastructure development, but natural disasters, increasingly attributed to climate change, have become frequent in recent years. Particularly in border regions with China and Vietnam, strengthening disaster response capabilities alongside infrastructure development is a pressing issue. This aid aims to demonstrate solidarity from the central government to the affected areas and accelerate recovery efforts. However, the extensive damage and prolonged recovery raise concerns about Laos's economic situation and its impact on people's lives.