Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Red Cross Society announced that by 4pm on Monday, its fundraising campaign themed “65 Years of Việt Nam – Cuba Solidarity” had mobilised VNĐ421.5 billion (nearly US$16 million) in donations, surpassing the initial target by 6.4 times.

The 65-day programme, running from August 13 to October 16, originally aimed to raise at least VNĐ65 billion to help Cuban people overcome current hardships.

Nguyễn Hải Anh, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society, said the organisation’s account at the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank has so far received nearly VNĐ407 billion from over 2 million donations. Local Red Cross chapters nationwide recorded an additional VNĐ13.4 billion.

The programme was included in the joint statement issued during the recent visit to Việt Nam by Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba, who also came to attend the celebrations of Việt Nam’s 80th National Day and the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Anh noted that the campaign has received strong support and guidance from the Politburo, the Party Central Committee's Secretariat, leaders of the Party, State and Việt Nam Fatherland Front, as well as close coordination from ministries, sectors, socio-political organisations, and local authorities. Many ministries and agencies have actively responded such as the Ministry of National Defence, the Vietnam News Agency, and the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, mobilising contributions from officials, public employees, students, and workers.

Several organisations launched creative activities, including a songwriting contest on the Việt Nam – Cuba friendship. On social networks, groups came up with unique initiatives to raise funds while individuals and communities across the country donated enthusiastically.

The campaign has also grabbed attention from both domestic and foreign media, with coverage by outlets such as the New York Times, Prensa Latina, Granma, Cubadebate, and other Cuban newspapers. The Cuban Embassy in Hà Nội and Consulate General in HCM City have regularly updated the results on their official portals.

Anh said that this is the first time an international fundraising campaign of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society has attracted millions of donations and hundreds of billions of Vietnamese dong in such a short time. He affirmed that the organisation will continue to ensure transparency in receiving, managing, and using the funds, with updates provided regularly on its communication platforms. — VNA/VNS