Head of the Party Central Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission Trương Thị Mai (right) hands over a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister to VNRC President Nguyễn Thị Xuân Thu on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) has helped over 103 million people with total value of more than VNĐ20 trillion (US$863 million) in the past five years, making an important contribution to the country's socio-economic development in the 2015-20 period.

Participants heard that at the fifth emulation congress of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society in Hà Nội on Thursday.

On the occasion, Party General Secretary, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Honorary President of the VNRC, praised results of patriotic emulation movement and contributions of society, Red Cross members, volunteers and youth nationwide for the humanitarian cause over the past five years.

In his letter, Trọng called on organisations, businesses, individuals and the community to actively participate in the patriotic emulation movement of the Vietnam Red Cross, contributing to the implementation of the Party and State’s social security policies and deepening the traditional kindness of Vietnamese generations.

Attending the event, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission Trương Thị Mai highlighted VNRC’s achievements over the past five years.

Mai suggested society better use resources, improve the quality of humanitarian activities and strengthen emergency and rehabilitation aid to help vulnerable groups.

Mai said that society should continue to promote education and follow former President Hồ Chí Minh's ideology and morality, reform emulation movements and humanitarian campaigns in the spirit of "Each organisation and individual’s committed support for one disadvantaged person or family", promote activities of "Humanitarian Month" and Red Cross movement at the grassroots level.

Speaking at the event, VNRC President Nguyễn Thị Xuân Thu said that over the past five years, the VNRC’s patriotic emulation movement spread wide in the community from the central to local level, becoming the movement of charity work of the entire people. It integrated with the socio-economic development programmes of localities and the whole country, contributing to the implementation of social security policies, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation movements, helping vulnerable people overcome difficulties in life.

“In the next five years, the VNRC’s emulation movement will continue to promote the fine tradition of kindness of the nation; improve the quality and efficiency of emulation movements. Red Cross members at all levels will continue to promote emulation in all key areas, including social work; disaster prevention and response; healthcare, blood donation mobilisation, organ and tissue donation and mobilisation of resources for humanitarian activities in the direction of diversity, innovation, creativity, efficiency, meeting and exceeding all set targets,” said Thu.

“We believe that with more than eight million members, volunteers and youth will be great resource for the VNRC to continue building and maintaining its core role in national humanitarian activities and becoming an active member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement,” added Thu.

On this occasion, the VNRC was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister for its contribution to the cause of socialism building and national defence in the 2015-2019 period. — VNS