Rice is given to a worker in Hiệp Thanh Ward, HCM City's District 12 during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HÀ NỘI — More than 130,000 tonnes of rice sourced from the national food reserve will be distributed to 24 cities and provinces to aid people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a decision issued on August 20.

Upon proposals put forward by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính agreed to distribute the volume of rice to affected people in Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Đồng Tháp, Tây Ninh, Cà Mau, Vĩnh Long, Long An, Kiên Giang, Trà Vinh, Khánh Hòa, Bình Dương, Bến Tre, Bình Định, An Giang, Nghệ An, Tiền Giang, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Phú Yên, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ, Bình Thuận, Ninh Thuận and HCM City.

The rice must be promptly allocated to eligible recipients in line with current regulations and COVID-19 control rules, stated the decision.

More than 8.6 million people in the 24 provinces and cities in Việt Nam need emergency food relief due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs.

On August 16, Prime Minister Chính agreed to offer more than 4,000 tonnes of rice from the national reserve to support pandemic-hit people in three provinces of Bình Phước, Bạc Liêu and Sóc Trăng.

Hà Nội donates 6,000 tonnes of rice to HCM City, Bình Dương province

The capital city of Hà Nội has donated 5,000 tonnes of rice to HCM City and 1,000 tonnes to the southern province of Bình Dương.

The decision was made at a meeting of the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee on Thursday.

The gift will help the people of HCM City and Bình Dương province which are the current largest COVID-19 hotspots in the country.

The activity realises the call of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính to assist HCM City and southern provinces in both human resources and materials.

Previously, Hà Nội presented a PRC testing system to HCM City, and donated VNĐ54 billion (US$2.34 million) to 18 southern cities and provinces, including Tiền Giang, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Cần Thơ, Đồng Nai, Trà Vinh, Kiên Giang, Cà Mau, Tây Ninh, Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu, An Giang, Hậu Giang, Bến Tre, Đồng Tháp, Vĩnh Long and Long An, each with VNĐ3 billion.

It also sent medical staff to northern Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh provinces to collect samples and help conduct tens of thousands of COVID-19 tests. — VNS