Red Cross officials and members provides free meals to poor workers in Hòa An Ward, Cẩm Lệ District, Đà Nẵng City. — Photo nhandan.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — With the theme 'Humanitarian Journey - Spreading Love', Humanitarian Month 2025 will be launched by the Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) from May 8-19.

Speaking at a press conference on April 24, Vice President and General Secretary of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society Nguyễn Hải Anh saidthe annual event aims to promote the spirit of mutual love and affection and spread humanitarian values ​​in the community.

“Humanitarian Month is not just a series of Red Cross activities. It is a journey of connecting hearts - where every heart, every gesture, every action, no matter how small, can contribute to making a big change in the lives of those in need,” said Anh.

The purpose of Humanitarian Month 2023 activities is to widely strengthen humanitarian values ​​among the people, raise the awareness of humanitarian work and promote compassionate behaviour in the community.

It also aims to ignite social responsibility and volunteerism, improve the effectiveness of resource mobilisation to support vulnerable groups and express deep gratitude to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the independence and freedom of the nation.

During the month, the VNRC aims to mobilise VNĐ400 billion (US$15.37 million) to implement charity activities and proactively be ready to respond to humanitarian assistance requests in 2025.

The VNRC will carry out a series of activities, including engaging 200,000 people in a fundraising campaign, called Triệu bước chân nhân ái - Tiếp nối trang sử vàng (Million steps of kindness - Continuing the golden history), corresponding to a fundraising target of VNĐ5 billion.

A poor household receives a Red Cross house in Thạnh Đông Commune, Tân Hiệp District, Kiên Giang Province as part of the Humanitarian Month 2025. — Photo VNRC

The campaign involves participants walking or running and recording results on the online platform vRace. Started on November 23, 2024, the event will continue until April 28. For every kilometre completed, the campaign’s supporters will donate VNĐ1,000 to its humanitarian goal.

In addition, the VNRC has set a goal to support 100,000 addresses with a variety of activities, such as visiting and presenting gifts to families of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, families of martyrs, war invalids, veterans and former youth volunteers in difficult circumstances.

VNRC will also organise 50 drives to provide health check-ups, medicine and gifts and support the construction of 500 Red Cross houses - VNĐ50 million to each household.

Over the 2024 Humanitarian Month, the association donated over VNĐ763 billion, helping over 1.6 million poor and disadvantaged people. The Humanitarian Month has contributed to strongly changing the awareness of Party committees, authorities, organisations and individuals towards humanitarian work, creating a large movement of mutual love and support in the community. — VNS