A total of 100 MT of rice, contributed by the People’s Republic of China (P.R. China), has been urgently released under the APTERR Tier 3 programme to assist people affected by a rare and severe hailstorm in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. This release forms part of P.R. China’s total contribution of 300 MT under Tier 3 pre-positioned programme for FY 2025, aimed enhancing emergency preparedness for timely response in Lao PDR.
The sudden hailstorm struck Lao PDR on 22 March 2026, causing widespread destruction in Sikhottabong District in Vientiane Capital. The extreme weather event impacted more than 2,000 households across five villages and damaged public facilities, including schools, a temple, and a village office.
Under an automatic trigger release to ensure a rapid response, the rice will be effectively distributed to affected-people through close collaboration between the APTERR Secretariat and the Lao PDR government, led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, with support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), to ensure assistance reaches those in need effectively.
Currently, a total of 1,502 MT of rice contributed by P.R. China, Japan and Republic of Korea remains pre-positioned in Lao PDR, ready to support timely emergency response to future emergencies.
Photo credit: Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Lao PDR
