Standing by her children on the road to recovery after the typhoons
With support from UNICEF, Mương’s two children — diagnosed with severe and moderate acute malnutrition — have begun their journey to recovery, bringing new hope to the whole family.
- English
- Tiếng Việt
In a stilt house with a roof torn apart by the recent storms, a woman sits quietly on the wooden steps. Her face is heavy with worry, her eyes lost in thought, surrounded by the silence of what remains.
Mương, 39, a Nùng ethnic woman and mother of three, the youngest only nine months old. She lives in Trung Thành commune, Tuyên Quang province, together with her elderly mother. The two consecutive typhoons Bualoi and Matmo that swept through northern Viet Nam destroyed everything she and her family had — their cornfield, their pigs and chickens under the house, and even the roof over their heads.
Her husband, who has a disability, makes a small living by selling bamboo toothpicks around the village. As the main caregiver and breadwinner, Mương now faces a future filled with uncertainty and hardship.
Recently, when UNICEF and local health workers visited Linh Hồ Commune Health Centre for nutrition screening, both of her younger children were diagnosed with malnutrition — one with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and the other with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
“The floodwaters surrounded our house for three days,” she recalled. “We were isolated, and I tried to keep breastfeeding, but I didn’t have enough food for myself. I had to feed my baby instant porridge, with no meat or vegetables — just plain porridge.”
Without proper nutrition, her children grew weaker. “Before the storm,” she said softly, “I used to collect mussels far from home and had to take my baby with me. He often got sick after those trips. When he’s ill, I can’t work, and then there’s no money to buy food.”
With support from UNICEF and government partners, Mương received Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) — BP-100 — to help her children receive timely treatment for malnutrition. A health worker from Linh Hồ health station visited her home to guide her on how to use the product safely and effectively, following instructions from UNICEF Viet Nam’s nutrition specialists.
Mương listened carefully, repeating each instruction, and tried feeding the baby herself. “At first, he didn’t like it,” she smiled, “but after a few days, he started to enjoy it and finished the full portion.”
For Mương, this small but vital support has given her renewed hope. “I’m so happy that my children can get treatment for malnutrition,” she said. “I will keep following the instructions carefully so they can grow strong again.”
Through UNICEF’s ongoing emergency response, families like Ms. Mương’s are receiving essential health care, nutrition, education, and child protection services — helping them recover and rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
