The Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) has received 50,000 USD in emergency aid from the Thai Government for victims of typhoons Ketsana and Mirinae in the central and central highlands provinces of Vietnam.

The money was handed over by the Thai Ambassador to Vietnam, Pisanu Chanvitan, to the VRC’s Chairman Bui Ngoc Tang on Nov. 13.

On addressing the ceremony, Tang thanked the Thai Government and its people for their sympathy and for supporting the Vietnamese people and pledged to use the aid effectively.

Ambassador Pisanu Chanvitan also thanked the Vietnamese people for their assistance to Thailand after the earthquakes and tsunami in 2004.

The VRC said that so far the organisation has received 6 million USD in relief aid from overseas governments, international organisations, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Red Cross Society in individual countries.

Many domestic businesses have also helped people hit by the typhoons to get their lives back to normal. Recently, the Vietnam Post and Telecoms Group provided 1 billion VND to victims of typhoon Mirinae in the central provinces as well as poor and disadvantaged people.

Typhoon Mirinae, the 11th to hit Vietnam this year, claimed 116 lives in the central provinces. Previously, in late September, typhoon Ketsana, the ninth this year, killed 163 people in the country’s central and Central Highlands.

Source: VNA