PANO – On September 9th, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Vietnam Lee Hyuk visited to the drought affected Dak To Re commune (Kon Tum province) to support recovery efforts in drought affected regions.

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Vietnam Lee Hyuk presenting hygiene kits to women and girls in Dak To Re commune

The ambassador said that “For Vietnam, as one of the more vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, effective response measures together with preventive efforts against climate induced disasters are crucial for communities to become more resilient against natural hazards”. He also emphasized that the people and the Government if the Republic of Korea are committed to working with Vietnam in addressing these challenges and contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.

The Korean Government committed USD 300,000 in emergency relief aid to provide humanitarian support to drought-hit communities in the Central Highland and Mekong Delta

On this occasion, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, UN Women and the Vietnam Women’s Union distributed hygiene kits and disseminated good hygiene practices to women and girls to help improve sanitation conditions and reduce the risk of water-related disease outbreaks in the region.

Earlier this June, the Korean Government committed USD 300,000 in emergency relief aid to provide humanitarian support to communities in the Central Highland and Mekong Delta that have been severely affected by unprecedented drought spell. Since then, the Korean Embassy in Hanoi have been working with the UN Women and Vietnam Women’s Union in carrying out the project to improve sanitation and hygiene conditions of women and girls in the affected communities. Specifically, the Korean Government distributed 9,000 hygiene kits in three provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, and Ca Mau reaching out to over 15,000 women and girls in these communities. This support builds on the on-going efforts of the UN Women and Vietnam Women’s Union to improve sanitation, prevent spread of diseases, promote early recovery and in the longer term, strengthen resilience.

Translated by Chung Anh