The Red Cross says its could be late November before the waters recede. It says most of the flood victims are the poorest of the poor peasants and the longer the floods go on the risks of serious outbreaks of disease increases. Dinh Cong Kham, of the local Red Cross, said the floods not only put villagers in immediate danger but also threatened their future livelihoods. They have made a living rearing fish and growing rice and fruits like mangoes and longans. And it it takes five years for them to become productive after planting.
Tiny children compete for space with pigs and chickens.
Tran Nhan Ngoc was moved to the dyke with three members of her family. They are all hungry. We have nothing to eat. Tran Thanh Binh, deputy district chairman, said the floods were forecast to peak at the end of this month. Water levels in An Giang's Tan Chau district, where the Mekong River enters Vietnam, were at 4.92 metres on Saturday, eight cm higher than the last serious floods to hit the Delta in 1996, which killed 217 people.