The Laos Embassy in Vietnam handed over US$257,000 in aid for Vietnamese people who suffered from drought and saline intrusion, in Hanoi, on May 30.

Phomma Sitsena from the Lao Embassy said the assistance aims to help residents of the central, Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta regions overcome their hardship.

Receiving the grant, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan said his agency will soon deliver the aid to its beneficiaries.

Since 2015, Vietnam has been suffering from the impact of El Nino – likely to be the longest one in the last six decades – with nearly 40,000ha of agricultural land rendered inadequate for production due to the massive drought across the central region, the Central Highlands and the southern region. The weather pattern also caused a drinking water shortage that affected tens of thousands of people’s daily lives.

Since the end of 2015, Vietnam has provided more than 5,200 tonnes of food-aid for three regions that took the full brunt of drought and saltwater intrusion. The country has spent over VND1 trillion (US$45 million) on drought assistance.

Source: Nhan dan