Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) Central Committee reported that as of October 16, its fundraising programme “65 Years of Vietnam–Cuba Solidarity” had collected more than 537.7 billion VND (over 20.41 million USD) in support of the Cuban people.
Launched on August 13 and running until October 16, the programme initially aimed to raise at least 65 billion VND to help Cuban people overcome current difficulties. Remarkably, the target was met within just 30 hours after the national launching ceremony in Hanoi through both traditional and online donation channels.
The campaign received close attention and direction from leaders of the Party, State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and was implemented with close coordination of ministries, sectors, mass organisations, and local authorities nationwide. Outstanding contributors included the Ministry of National Defence, the Vietnam News Agency, and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
According to VRCS Vice President and Secretary General Nguyen Hai Anh, President of the National Assembly of People's Power and President of the Council of State of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez, during his official visit to Vietnam on October 3, confirmed that part of the funds raised had already been used to purchase equipment for electricity transmission and distribution - one of the most urgent needs affecting the daily lives of Cuban citizens.
This is the first time an international fundraising campaign organised by the VRCS has attracted millions of contributions and raised hundreds of billions of dong in such a short period, Hai Anh stressed. He attributed the programme’s success to timely and transparent information dissemination, extensive media coverage from central and local press agencies, and multilingual promotion across the VRCS’s communication channels and social media platforms in Vietnamese, Spanish, and English.
The year 2025 marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba (1960–2025). The “65 Years of Vietnam–Cuba Solidarity” programme serves as a meaningful expression of the Vietnamese people’s sentiments toward the Cuban people while further strengthening traditional ties between the two nations./.
