More than 954 tonnes of rice from the national reserve were sent to the south-central province of Ninh Thuan on October 13 and 14 to assist local people in drought-plagued areas.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has pointed out an urgent need to ensure standardised drinking water for residents in the Mekong Delta while minimising socio-economic impact caused by drought there.
The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has earmarked roughly 9.2 billion VND (over 396,700 USD) to provide 4,000 drought-hit households in Cang Long and Chau Thanh districts with access to clean water.
Sakda Wichiansilp, director general of the Department of Ground Water Resources, has visited areas affected by drought in Sakon Nakhon province and followed up on the project to develop ground water for large-sized farms in the dry season.
Recent prolonged drought has caused serious water shortages for nearly 55,000 people in Binh Dinh province. The province has urged units to help affected people overcome the issue.
Over the past three days, more than 1,100 tonnes of rice sourced from the national reserves were provided to 16,818 households with a total of 74,226 people in five drought-hit districts of the south-central province of Ninh Thuan.
The People’s Committee of the southern central province of Ninh Thuan on November 12 started delivering over 2,900 tonnes of rice provided by the government to locals hit by the recent drought.
The US has provided 500,000 USD in additional emergency assistance to people in Mekong Delta provinces as they experienced the worst drought and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam in the last decade.
The European Commission is making available 2 million EUR (roughly 50 billion VND) in emergency relief to communities affected by the drought and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam since the end of 2015.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on May 25 announced the end of a large-scale water distribution campaign in serous drought hit areas after rains have come in recent weeks.
The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) will provide fresh water and assistance in cash to residents in four provinces suffering from drought and saltwater intrusion, during May and June.
The People’s Committee of the southernmost province of Ca Mau has directed authorities from district to communal level to support farmers in the drought-hit areas, said Chairman Nguyen Tien Hai.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will give financial aid to 13 Mekong Delta and Central Highlands provinces to provide drought-affected residents with water for daily use.
Ben Tre has called off all fruit exhibitions and festivals scheduled for this year, with authorities saying drought and saline intrusion have decimated its orchards and there is nothing more to show.
Residents in An Duc commune, Ba Tri district, in Ben Tre, on April 24, flocked to the communal People’s Committee Office to get drinking water under a desalination programme.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will consider allocating the World Bank’s loans for Binh Phuoc to help the locality upgrade its lakes and dams to deal with the ongoing drought.
Society
