In a show of solidarity with Typhoon Yagi victims in northern Vietnam, Dr. Kambiz Ghawami, Chairman of the World University Service (WUS) Germany, presented a water filter to Politburo member and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council Nguyen Xuan Thang on September 12 as the Vietnamese official was leaving for Vietnam after a working visit.
The gift, a Portable Aqua Unit for Live Saving (PAUL), will be transported free of charge to Vietnam by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on September 13, accompanying Thang and his delegation returning from the 9th dialogue between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
As flood-stricken areas grapple with severe drinking water shortage, the PAUL device offers a lifeline. Each unit can filter about 1,200 litres of water daily, meeting the needs of at least 400 people based on an average daily requirement of 3 litres per person.
The WUS, with financial support from several German states and individual donations from students, parents and companies, has so far supplied a total of 392 PAUL water filtration units to Vietnam, benefiting nearly 1.6 million residents every day.
Invented by Prof. Franz-Bernd Frechen from the University of Kassel in Hessen, Germany, the PAUL unit employs a membrane filtration system that conserves resources by requiring no chemicals, electricity or specialised operators. This makes it an ideal solution for disaster-hit regions, offering immediate and sustainable aid.
According to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Yagi and subsequent flooding claimed 233 lives and left 103 others missing and 823 injured as of 7am on September 13.
