Multi-sector assessment highlights recovery needs from Typhoon Yagi for employment, livelihoods and social protection

HANOI (ILO News) - When Typhoon Yagi struck Viet Nam on 7 September, the typhoon and subsequent floods left a trail of destruction that disrupted the livelihoods of millions of workers and shattered incomes across many provinces of the country. Among those who were hit was Nguyễn Thị Hải Hà, an apricot blossom farmer in Thái Nguyên Province, whose decade-long investment in over four mẫu (roughly 14,500 m²) of apricot blossom trees was wiped out by floodwaters.

"For five days, the fields were submerged, and now there's nothing left," Hải Hà said. With the Lunar New Year approaching, a time when her blossoms are in high demand, the loss is devastating. Replanting efforts are underway, but it will take until 2026 before her orchard can yield a harvest again.

Hải Hà, an apricot blossom farmer in Thái Nguyên loses a vast area of her grown trees and a significant source of livelihood to Typhoon Yagi.

While the Government of Viet Nam has been proactive and decisive in the typhoon and flood response measures, including through coordinating early warnings and evacuations, Hải Hà's story is just one example of the broader challenges uncovered in the Viet Nam Multi-Sector Assessment (VMSA), a joint initiative launched in October 2024 to evaluate the widespread impacts of Typhoon Yagi and guide recovery efforts. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) through the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA), the VMSA brings together multiple government ministries, UN agencies, the European Union, JICA, ADB, and other development partners.

The VMSA analysed damages, losses, and recovery needs across 15 key sectors (e.g., health, agriculture) in 14 of the 26 most affected provinces. The International Labour Organization (ILO) in Viet Nam, tasked with leading the sector assessment on employment, livelihoods, and social protection, has highlighted the critical need for targeted interventions to rebuild lives and strengthen resilience.

On December 10, 2024, at the annual end-of-year gathering of the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership, the VMSA Report for Typhoon Yagi Recovery was officially launched.

Employment, livelihoods and social protection vital in crisis response

The VMSA reveals the staggering toll Typhoon Yagi has taken on employment, livelihoods and social protection in the 14 provinces which are home to 6.6 million workers. In the third quarter of 2024, the disaster resulted in 2.3 million lost workdays-equivalent to 22,811 full-time jobs-with agriculture and commerce among the hardest-hit sectors. Across all industries, a net deficit of 178,784 workdays (4,596 full-time jobs) has left families struggling to make ends meet.

Particularly vulnerable are own-account workers, who make up half of the workers in the 14 provinces, due to limited access to alternative livelihoods and social protection, leaving them without safety nets during the recovery. Small farmers and micro and small enterprises (MSEs) face acute financial challenges, with many unable to repay loans or secure funding for recovery efforts. As a result of employment and income losses, local authorities expect the number of vulnerable people needing additional support to increase. Unemployment benefit claims have risen significantly in the affected provinces.

Employment and social protection are not just a buffer in the aftermath of a disaster; they are the foundation for resilience and an inclusive, sustainable recovery. The VMSA highlights the critical need to rebuild livelihoods, strengthen social protection, and create quality jobs. The ILO is committed to turning these insights into action, working with Viet Nam and its partners to ensure no one is left behind and to enhance resilience for future disasters.

said Felix Weidenkaff, ILO Viet Nam's Employment and Labour Market Specialist.

Collaborative recovery planning

The VMSA covers 14 provinces, spanning coastal, midland, and mountainous regions, including Bắc Giang, Thái Nguyên, Hà Giang, Phú Thọ, Quảng Ninh, and Lào Cai. It assesses the storm's impact across multiple sectors-agriculture, commerce, infrastructure, and social systems-and provides evidence-informed recommendations for recovery, applying the internationally recognized Post-Disaster Needs Assessment methodology.

In collaboration with government partners, the UN and other organizations, the VMSA employment, livelihoods and social protection recovery strategy proposes four strategic action lines, including:

• Promoting access to productive employment opportunities: Employment-intensive programs are designed to create immediate jobs while rebuilding public infrastructure. Reskilling initiatives and vocational training help equip workers with market-relevant skills, employment services can assist workers transitioning to new employment opportunities and expanded care services aim to support women's return to the workforce.
• Supporting businesses to sustain operations: Small farmers and micro and small enterprises (MSEs) receive assistance through financial literacy training, access to credit, and improved market connections. Local credit funds and preferential schemes are essential for helping businesses overcome acute financial challenges, including repaying loans and securing recovery funds.
• Safeguarding workers' rights: Public awareness campaigns and legal support address labour rights issues, child labour, domestic violence, and forced labour, ensuring compliance with labour laws and fostering community resilience.
• Protecting the most vulnerable: Enhanced social protection measures require focus on persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, the elderly and households requiring relocation. Increasing social assistance benefits is an effective means of support, bypassing delays linked to emergency cash transfers. Proposed options include vertical expansion of social assistance benefits and horizontal expansion of old age pensions.

These measures require an estimated 8.2 trillion Vietnamese dong over immediate, medium, and long-term horizons to rebuild lives and strengthen resilience.

Challenges to recovery

Despite the comprehensive roadmap, significant challenges remain. Typhoon Yagi's impacts vary across provinces and sectors, with its full ramifications still unfolding. Food security and rural livelihoods have been severely disrupted, increasing the number of vulnerable people needing social assistance, especially as household relocations rise.

Disaster-hit provinces have seen sharp reductions in work hours and incomes, even as national employment levels remain stable. Medium-term concerns focus on employment quality, as negative income shocks and limited financial support are driving many workers to withdraw lump-sum social insurance payments, undermining formal employment rates, long-term income security, and access to pensions.

Although no immediate rise in child labour has been observed, setbacks to efforts in reducing it remain a concern.

A future built on resilience

Typhoon Yagi is a stark reminder of the growing threat of climate-induced disasters and the vulnerabilities of communities dependent on fragile livelihoods. The VMSA, with the ILO's expertise in employment and social protection, provides a foundation for recovery and resilience.

While recovery will be a long-term process, the collaborative efforts of the VMSA partners offer a pathway to rebuild lives and livelihoods. With targeted support and inclusive planning, Viet Nam has the opportunity to emerge stronger and better prepared for future challenges.

ILO Viet Nam officers hear Hải Hà, an apricot blossom farmer in Thai Nguyen, recount her family's ordeal after Typhoon Yagi. Nguyen Ngoc Trieu, ILO Viet Nam Senior Programme Officer, visits a damaged field in Yen Bai province. The Viet Nam Multi-sector Assessment (VMSA) report was launched on 10 December 2024.

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