Date: January 2024

Location: Sanamxay district

Interviewee: Vice District Governor Ms. Phoudone Choummaly

Event Background: The tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains that affected Lao PDR during the months of July and August 2018 caused unprecedented scale of floods and landslides across the country, which resulted in a high level of damages to houses and basic service facilities. The Government data indicated that a total of 31 districts across 11 provinces were affected, with most severe damages recorded in the shelter sector. Attapeu province, in particular, was severely affected as the flash floods led to the collapse of Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower dam, which resulted in destruction of six villages and displacement of over 6,000 people into neighbouring villages (Government of Lao PDR, 2018).

In March 2019, the Government of Japan contributed $2.2 million to the Government of Lao PDR and signed the Grant Agreement with UN-Habitat Lao PDR to assist the recovery of the housing sector in most affected provinces. Following the preliminary assessment, which was validated by Post Disaster Needs Assessment, it was agreed that UN-Habitat would provide 66 permanent houses in Sanamxay district, Attapeu province, and 15 permanent houses in Pakbeng district, Oudomxay province, along with community-based piped water supply systems in respective locations.