Manila, Sep 27 (IANS): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday said that it has approved a grant of $2 million to help Vietnam provide emergency and humanitarian services to residents affected by Typhoon Yagi in the country's northern region.

Yagi, the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades, made landfall on the country's northern coast on September 7. As of Tuesday, 337 people have been killed or reported missing, and another 1,935 people have been injured, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority.

The typhoon and subsequent flooding and landslides caused widespread damage in 26 provinces, with an estimated 37 million people living in the affected areas. Initial economic loss across Vietnam is estimated at around $2.6 billion, Xinhua news agency reported.

The grant is provided by the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, which aims to support ADB's developing members affected by major disasters triggered by natural hazards.