US
Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak on October 29 handed over US$500,000 to
the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) to support victims of storm Ketsana in the four
provinces of Quang Nam,
Quang Ngai, Gia Lai and Kon Tum.
The money which was donated by the US government, the US Red Cross and
the US Agency for Cooperation and Development is under a supporting project to
help 35,000 people in the four provinces overcome the damage and handle their
economic situation.
The project, launched from October 29 this year to January 20, 2010, will
provide assistance for households in the storm-hit areas to buy safe water,
food, medicine, agricultural equipment, repair their houses and pay children’s
tuition fees.
VRC Chairman Tran Ngoc Tang said the emergency aid project is part of the
association’s prioritised activities to support the storm victims and is a
practical activity in response to the appeal of the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
For many years, the US has helped the VRC to launch
many support programmes and projects in 22 Vietnamese provinces and cities such
as those on sanitation education and school nutrition in northern mountainous
and central provinces, a flu prevention project and an HIV/AIDS treatment project.
To respond the appeal of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, many international Red Crosses, foreign governments and
international organisations in Vietnam have donated around VND82 billion to
disaster victims.
