HÀ NỘI — The second phase of a project on enhancing the capacity of the Việt Nam Red Cross (VNRC) was launched at a ceremony here on Tuesday.

The project was launched by the VNRC and the United States Embassy in Việt Nam. With a fund of US$800,000 from the United States government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the project is expected to benefit 13,700 people directly and 30,000 people indirectly in three target provinces of Hòa Bình, Quảng Trị and Bạc Liêu.

Speaking at the event, VNRC President, Nguyễn Thị Xuân Thu, said that the project is the first one that will be implemented following a “3 in 1” model that combines healthcare, disaster preparedness and prevention and organisational development contents.

“Việt Nam remains vulnerable to a host of weather-related risks and climate change impacts. Recent typhoons Doksuri and Damrey clearly demonstrated the importance of being prepared and being able to effectively respond to disaster,” said US Ambassador to Việt Nam, Daniel J. Kritenbrink, at the event.

Kritenbrink added that communities played an important role in the preparedness and response to disasters. The project’s second phase will continue to utilise a community-based approach to help communes better prepare for and increase their resilience to disasters.

The 24-month project will focus activities on developing hazard-risk reduction and disaster preparedness plans and providing training on water use, sanitation and hygiene during emergencies to teachers and students. It will also organise train-the-trainer courses for provincial disaster response teams, develop and adapt health emergency response guides and provide first aid and epidemic prevention training.

According to the VNRC, the project’s phase 1 has benefited more than 11,000 residents directly and nearly 20,000 people indirectly in Hòa Bình, Quảng Trị and Bạc Liêu provinces. 

Since 2,000, USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided more than $20 million to address the emergency response needs and disaster risk management activities in Việt Nam. — VNS