Expats extend help to homeland in COVID-19 fight

David Duong, a Vietnamese expat in the US, Chairman of California Waste Solutions (CWS), presents 250 ventilators to Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Overseas Vietnamese have extended help to the homeland through pragmatic actions and contributions to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Towards the homeland

About 5.3 million Vietnamese are living in 130 countries and territories nationwide. They have settled down in the host countries, while significantly contributing to national construction and development.

About 300-500 intellectuals return home each year to join scientific-technological and education-training activities, and contribute opinions to issues regarding national development.

Thousands of Vietnamese have actively joined hands in the COVID-19 fight, notably those in Japan, the US, Germany, Australia, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada, Russia and the Czech Republic.

The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs said last year, Vietnamese expats sent home nearly 80 billion VND and goods to support the pandemic combat and flood victims in the central region.

In response to the appeal of Party and State leaders, they have continued to accompany the homeland in the fight in 2021.

Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu receives gifts from Vietnamese in Germany (Photo: VNA) 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said OVs have contributed more than 50 billion VND, along with medical supplies to the COVID-19 vaccine fund and the pandemic fight at home so far.

The latest batch of aid, comprising more than 6.2 tonnes of medical supplies worth about 1 million USD, was transported from San Francisco by Vietnam Airlines.

Nearly 449,000 Vietnamese are living, working and studying in Japan. In the face of the pandemic, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan launched a fund-raising campaign to support the Vietnamese COVID-19 vaccine fund.

At the launching ceremony, employees of the embassy and Vietnamese representative offices in Japan contributed nearly 105 million VND to the fund.

Vietnamese in Japan have also raised more than 2 million JPY (over 400 million VND) in support of the fund.

Meanwhile, over the past time, Vietnamese expats in Germany have supported Vietnam’s pandemic fight through various forms such as providing medical equipment and financial support for the country’s COVID-19 vaccine fund.

For instance, Tran Dang Khoa, a Vietnamese in German, together with THACO Group and Tran Ba Duong, the group’s chairman, presented 4 .8million quick test kits to Vietnam. 

According to Vietnamese ambassador in Germany Nguyen Minh Vu, despite the complicated pandemic situation in the European country as well as the difficulties of the Vietnamese community, such donations are very practical for pandemic prevention and control in Vietnam, reflecting the sharing with the country's challenges.

Son said the Party and State and people at home always treasure the sentiments and valuable support of Vietnamese abroad, calling on them to continue joining hands in the pandemic fight.

An integral part of the nation

President Ho Chi Minh had paid due attention to overseas Vietnamese affairs. The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs was established in 1959, serving as a bridge between expats and the homeland.

A focus of the work on overseas Vietnamese affairs is to help expats improve their legal status, stabilise their lives and better integrate into host societies.

Vietnamese Party and State leaders have regularly held meetings with OVs and requested their foreign counterparts further assist the Vietnamese communities.

With the spirit of “leaving no one behind,” the Party and State have supported OVs affected by natural disasters and diseases, especially the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apart from citizen protection measures, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representative offices abroad have arranged more than 540 flights bringing about 136,000 citizens home safely.

The 13th National Party Congress set a target of implementing the OVs work more comprehensively. The Politburo also issued Conclusion No. 12 dated August 12, 2021 on OVs affairs in the new situation.

Vietnam will work to consolidate its legal system, reform administrative procedures and synchronously roll out relevant policies, while encouraging Vietnamese experts and businesspeople to contribute initiatives and opinions.

The country has also made efforts to respond to the legitimate aspiration of OVs regarding citizenship in line with law and Resolution No. 36 of the Politburo. /.