Maybe the association of boat racers in VNT and other places in Laos can organize themselves to utilize the team and the boats to deliver goods in areas that are still flooded. Anyway, this is something that they are best at, why  not put into good use... its Its boat racing season anyway.  People cant rely on helicopter and search and retrival of dead bodies is sometimes best done via boat. Besides someone needs to clean up the dead animals (there were hundreds of dead buffaloes, goats, etc) that may be floating around risking spread of disease not only in the affected area but in areas where the river water is draining as well.

Hope more help will come! Good luck!

-GANDA-
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Food, medicine urgently needed for Ketsana victims

Vientiane Times, 06 Oct 2009

Medicine, food aid and basic household utensils are urgently needed by
the victims of tropical storm Ketsana, particularly in Attapeu and
Xekong provinces, officials have said.

Incidents of waterborne diseases such as conjunctivitis and cholera
are being reported and medicines are urgently needed, Xekong
provincial Deputy Governor Lieng Khamphoune said yesterday.

The storm cut through the southern Lao provinces of Xekong, Attapeu,
Savannakhet and Saravan on September 29 causing severe flooding,
especially in Xekong and Attapeu. The storm then weakened and the
water level fell in the following days.

Mr Lieng said Xekong province experienced no fatalities, but several
households lost all their belongings, and rice stocks and large areas
of farmland had been destroyed.

“The rapid flash flooding meant people had no time to gather their
belongings. Their household equipment and possessions were swept away.
Some have only the clothes they were wearing at the time,” he said.

Waterborne diseases have surfaced and provincial authorities have
formed medical teams to tackle the issue.

Mr Lieng said food aid, construction materials, and household items
such as mosquito nets and cooking materials are needed.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh led a delegation to the
province when he announced the government will provide affected people
with a one month supply of rice to help them to recover, according to
local media.

The prime minister said the government will endeavour to provide
further assistance where required. The government will also contribute
funds towards the construction of temporary housing and the purchase
of household equipment.

Prime Minister Bouasone is visiting all affected provinces to survey
the extent of the damage and oversee assistance efforts.

Deputy Xekong provincial Party Secretary, Colonel Khamphuey
Boutdavong, informed Mr Bouasone that the province has already
distributed relief supplies including medicines provided by state
organisations, private businesses, international orga-nisations and
individuals worth almost one billion kip.

Attapeu provincial Admi-nistrative Office Head, Mr Vatsady
Khoumphetsavong, said the province also requires relief supplies in
the form of food, medicines, household items and construction
materials.

“We also need volunteers to help people rebuild their houses, but
volunteers must be self-sufficient in terms of food and expenses,” he
said.

Savannakhet province was not as badly affected as Xekong and Attapeu,
but rice is also needed to help victims there. Officials expressed
concerns regarding long-term food shortages due to the large areas of
rice fields damaged or destroyed.

Saravan provincial Deputy Governor, Mr Bounthiem Phommasathit, said
his province, in collaboration with the World Food Programme, is
distributing relief supplies to victims. The official death toll
stands at three with at least 20 others missing. One of the dead and
all of the missing are in Attapeu province, including eight Vietnamese
workers at the Xekhaman I hydropower plant. The two other fatalities
were reported in Savannakhet province by the Ministry of Labour and
Social Welfare and the Lao Red Cross.

Mr Vatsady said the provincial authorities have received unconfirmed
reports that Cambodian officials have found one child, who was swept
away by the flood waters, alive and well in neighbouring Cambodia .

Last year, Laos experienced the worst floods on record. The Mekong
River rose to 13.65 metres in Vientiane , well above the danger level
of 12.5 metres. However, the government and the people, with the help
of friendly countries and international organisations, were able to
bring the situation under control.

Vientiane has been flooded four times: in 1966 when the Mekong rose to
12.71 metres, in 1972 when it reached 12.51 metres, in 1979 at 12.08
metres, and in 2002 at 12.6 metres.