Việt Nam Red Cross Society's representatives provide emergency aid to flood victims in the Central region of VIệt Nam in 2020. — Photo courtesy of VNRC

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) provided nearly VNĐ800 billion (US$34.65 million) in support and response funds to natural disaster and COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, benefiting more than 1.1 million people, heard a conference on Tuesday in Hà Nội.

The online conference on disaster prevention and response aims to evaluate results of VNRC’s natural disaster prevention and response activities in 2020 as well as implement new plans in 2021.

“VNRC has developed a disaster prevention and response plan on preparing financial resources and diversifying relief goods (family boxes, home repair kits, water purification tablets, tarpaulin for making temporary houses) to support people in emergency situations in 2021,” said VNRC Vice President and General Secretary Nguyễn Hải Anh.

To respond to the rain and storm season and COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the Việt Nam Red Cross also widely disseminated standard procedures in response to natural disasters and the pandemic, as well as the process of cash allocation to the VNRC at all levels. It also applied information technology in emergency response as well as implemented a forecast based financing (FbF) model for hot weather and building a similar model for storms and floods; building logistics supply chains to ensure effective responses to disasters and the pandemic, and deployed overall communication activities from the central to local levels, according to Anh.

In 2020, natural disasters occurred on a large scale with many forms, especially rain and floods causing very heavy damage in the Central region of Việt Nam. In addition, COVID-19 broke out in many localities across the country last year, seriously impacting all aspects of people's lives. In response to the situation, the VNRC has directed the Red Cross societies of the whole system to promptly and effectively deploy disaster and pandemic response activities, as well as mobilised domestic and international support resources. It also applied information technology in natural disaster prevention and response and effectively carried out external communication activities, according to the VNRC.

The VNRC has called on domestic and international communities to support rain and flood victims in the central provinces of Việt Nam. The VNRC has received support, including money and goods, in intervention areas of housing, livelihoods, clean water, sanitation and healthcare with total value of VNĐ358 billion.

VNRC also promoted communication on COVID-19 pandemic prevention, donated medical equipment (masks, PPE and antiseptic solution) to people, frontline medical forces and other countries affected by COVID-19 with the total value of domestic support reaching VNĐ434 billion. — VNS