PANO - The New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam announced a humanitarian aid, worth US$ 50,000, to several areas affected by drought and saltwater intrusion in Ben Tre province on April 28th.

Farmers receiving aids from the local authorities

The assistance will be provided through an ongoing US$ 4 million New Zealand government-funded project "Building resilience to disaster and climate risks for men and women in Ben Tre province", implemented by Oxfam in Vietnam. The emergency relief is in response of urgent needs of children, women, and men in 15 most affected communes of the three districts of Binh Dai, Ba Tri, and Thanh Phu.

Up to 6,000 cow and goat farmers in these three localities will receive cash to buy food and water for their animals.

Providing clean water to locals

New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Haike Manning said: “We recognize the serious impact that the drought and saltwater intrusion caused for localities in southern and central provinces of Vietnam. This assistance is a modest, but practical contribution to the areas where we are already working with through our existing project, and is an example of New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to supporting vulnerable areas across Vietnam.”

“New Zealand will continue sharing its experience and working closely with its partners, such as Oxfam, to assist local authorities to deal with drought and saltwater intrusion and the effects of climate change in the Mekong Delta region.”

Oxfam also collaborated with the local authorities to provide clean water to more than 6,000 women and men on this occasion.

Chung Anh