Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh and representatives from the Vietnam Red Cross Society on January 16 presented 100 Tet gifts valued at one million VND each to poor families and Agent Orange/Dioxin (AO) victims in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

Visiting locals in Nhon Ai commune, Phong Dien district on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet), Deputy PM Ninh, who is also member of the Party Central Committee and head of the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region, wished them a New Year of health and prosperity.

He called on the locals to continue strengthening their solidarity and join hands with the Government to successfully implement the programme to build new-style rural areas.

He said the Party and State always pay much attention to the caring of poor people, promoting the nation’s tradition of mutual support.

The Deputy PM also asked Can Tho city to continue creating favourable conditions for locals to step out of poverty and better their living conditions.

Over the past 15 years, the Vietnam Red Cross Society has raised more than two trillion VND and donated 11 million gifts in an effort to help poor people and AO victims enjoy a warmer Tet.

On the occasion, the Vietnam Red Cross also mobilised 600,000 Tet gifts worth more than 200 billion VND in the “Tet for poor people” programme, with a hope to bring a merrier Tet to poor people and AO victims nationwide.

Also on January 16, the Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs visited wounded veterans and beneficiaries in Kim Bang district, the northern province of Ha Nam , wishing them a healthy and happy New Year.

Ha Nam Business Association also presented 1.5 billion VND to help poor people and AO victims in the province.

Meanwhile, the central province of Quang Ngai reported that it has disbursed 9.4 billion VND to support locals build 164 new houses and repair 357 others damaged by flooding in November last year.

The money was donated by enterprises and localities nationwide to help affected people.

So far, work has been completed on 120 homes.

On the occasion, the Quang Ngai provincial Fatherland Front and the Vietnam Technology Bank (Techcombank) presented 50 houses valued at two billion VND to families facing difficulties in 12 communes in Nghia Hanh district.

In the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien , 1,500 Tet gifts worth more than 333 million VND have been presented to poor locals.

The province also provided 300 tonnes of rice to more than 5,700 families for Tet, and 1,700 tonnes to another 11,500 poor households to help them overcome the difficult period.

Businesses in the central province of Quang Nam also joined hands in helping locals enjoy a happy New Year. The RIEKE shoes company presented 1,000 gifts valued at 500,000 VND each to poor people, while the Trade Union of Quang Nam businesses offered free health check-ups to nearly 200 people in the locality.

Meanwhile, A Vuong Hydropower Company also gave over 35 tonnes of rice to 1,800 people in mountainous areas in the province.

At the same time, the local government in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai offered nearly 20 billion VND as social welfare benefits before Tet.

The province offered 2.45 billion VND as gifts to people from ethnic minority groups to enjoy the annual holiday.

On January 16, leaders of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang visited and extended New Year wishes to residents and soldiers based in the island districts of Kien Hai and Phu Quoc, praising their contributions in protecting the national sea and islands.-VNA