The15th ASEAN GO-NGO Forum on Social Welfare and Development was held virtually on Monday. This was an annual event held within the framework of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD) with its theme "Strengthening Family Resilience and Solidarity: Braving the Adversity and Adapting to the New Normal". VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tùng

HÀ NỘI — The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great impacts on vulnerable families such as ethnic minority households, families with informal labourers and migrants, leading to temporary poverty due to low incomes, experts have said.

Speaking at the 15th ASEAN GO-NGO Forum on social welfare and development held virtually yesterday, representatives agreed these families need to have their resilience and solidarity strengthened to overcome adversity and adapt to the new normal.

This year's annual event is themed 'Strengthening Family Resilience and Solidarity: Braving the Adversity and Adapting to the New Normal', with a focus on coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hà Thị Minh Đức, deputy director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ International Cooperation Department, said the pandemic has spread globally since early this year and caused challenges for all countries.

The pandemic has also caused many negative impacts on the lives of all people in society, especially women, children and vulnerable families.

In Việt Nam, more than 30 million people are estimated to have been affected by the pandemic, with half of them suffering a pay cut.

In rural areas, half of all households have experienced a 38 per cent decrease in their income from farming.

Đức said most Vietnamese families were large with many generations living under the same roof and the pandemic has greatly affected their income and livelihoods.

It has also affected quality and access to essential social services such as maternal and child health care as well as education and support services for these households.

Đức said the Government has stepped up its dual task to control the pandemic and develop the economy to ensure a stable life for people.

The support package of more than VNĐ62 trillion (US$2.7 billion) to support 20 million affected people would help solve the problem. Online studying has also been applied in many schools to ensure education for children.

At the forum, experts shared stories on family relations and the role of families and measures to protect families in the ASEAN community. — VNS