Japan, Italy Provide Urgent Aid for Vietnamese Flood-hit Victims

The Japanese and Italian governments have decided to grant urgent relief goods to help flood-hit victims in central Vietnam, the Cong An Nhan Dan newspaper reported Oct 27. The Japanese government will donate JPY20 million ($240,000) worth of goods, including 30 power generators, 1,800 portable plastic jerry cans, 30 water purifiers, 5,000 blankets and 5,000 mosquito nets. Meanwhile, the Italian Government will grant 5 inter agency emergency kits (IEHK) in response to an urgent request of the World Health Organization, of which each kit will offer medicines and health equipments for primary healthcare services to 10,000 locals for nearly three months. The aid is aimed to support locals overcome huge consequences caused by the two recent consecutive floods which have left 165 dead and missing, 117 injured since early this month. The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) mobilized more than VND19 billion from individuals and organizations at home and abroad as of Oct 22, including VND10.85 billion from foreign donors. (Cong An Nhan Dan – People’s Police Oct 27 p15, cpv.org.vn Oct Oct 26)