Nhân Dân newspaper donated VNĐ500 million to the flood relief fund of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front. — Photo nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Central Relief Committee of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee received nearly VNĐ799 billion (US$30.31 million) in donations from individuals, organisations and enterprises to support residents in areas affected by Typhoon Matmo as of 5pm on Wednesday.

On the day, VFF Central Committee President Đỗ Văn Chiến received a donation of VNĐ500 million from Nhân Dân (People) newspaper.

Presenting the donation, Lê Quốc Minh, member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhân Dân newspaper, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and Mass Mobilisation, and Chairman of the Việt Nam Journalists Association, expressed the desire to stand in solidarity with those affected by natural disasters.

This is the first activity in a series of the newspaper's initiatives to support disaster relief efforts, he said, adding that Nhân Dân will continue to launch fundraising programmes for the victims. 

On October 17, it will premiere the film ‘Tổ quốc trong tim’ (The Homeland in Our Hearts), with all proceeds to be donated to the VFF. In addition, funds raised from the programme ‘Good Morning Việt Nam’ on October 18–19 will be transferred to the VFF Central Committee to aid the affected communities, said Minh.

The same day, the VFF Central Committee received donations in cash and goods from numerous businesses and organisations.

Typhoon Matmo, the 11th storm to form in the East Sea so far this year, and its subsequent flooding and landslides across northern provinces have left three people dead and four missing, damaging nearly 10,000 hectares of crops, and submerging thousands of homes.

According to Chiến, in recent days, in response to the VFF Central Presidium’s call for support, numerous agencies, organisations, individuals and enterprises have contributed both directly at the VFF headquarters and via its relief fund account.

The Central Relief Committee will allocate the donations based on the scale of damage in each locality to help residents repair homes and resume production as soon as possible, he pledged.

Lists of aid recipients will be publicly posted in villages, he said. —VNA/VNS