VietNamNet Bridge – Taking used clothes as relief for flood victims, the Red Cross of Nghe An province kept the clothes at a mechanical engineering enterprise’s warehouse. But 37 bags of clothes have become clouts at garages. 

The relief in a warehouse of Nghe An Red Cross.

On October 27, the Nghe An Red Cross received five train carriages of relief supplies from the Vietnam Red Cross, which consisted of used clothes and food. However, local people reported that many used clothes have become clouts at garages.

The Nghe An Red Cross Chair Bui Thi Mai said that after taking five carriages of relief, her employees classified them as used clothes. They carried the good clothes to the Nghe An Red Cross’ warehouses to transmit to flood victims. The remaining, which were too old, were kept at the warehouse of the Nghe An Auto Mechanical Engineering JS Company.

The company’s deputy director, Ho Huu Dan, explained that while transporting the bags of used clothes to the warehouse, workers saw the clothes were too old and smelly so they gave 37 bags of clothes to three garages as clouts.

The Nghe An Red Cross on November 2 took back the clothes to classify them.

“We didn’t sell used clothes to garages. This is a big lesson for us!” Mai said.

She also said that there is a large volume of used clothes and books sent to Nghe An that were not good enough to use, . Some districts like Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan and Yen Thanh had asked the Red Cross to not give them more used clothes.

“I was stunned by the information! That’s our fault!,” said Doan Van Thai, Vice Chair of the Vietnam Red Cross.

Thai said that this is the first case that happened for the Vietnam Red Cross.

“The Vietnam Red Cross has called for the people to support flood victims in the central region. Many families, both parents and children, brought clothes and instant noodles to our offices. Our offices have never been busy like these days. Perhaps some relief goods are not suitable but they show the people’s heart and all goods deserve to respect,” Thai said.

He said that since the central region was striken by floods, the Vietnam Red Cross’ members have been always side by side with flood victims. He hoped that the people would see the incident tolerantly.

The Vietnam Red Cross sent a working group to Nghe An to investigate the case.

According to Thai, after receiving relief, the association always classifies goods. Only qualified clothes are packed to send to the central region. The clothes that are not good enough for use will be destroyed  with supervision of the environmental police.

Among the goods sent to Nghe An in late October, some bags were not classified because of the urgency, resulted in the incident in Nghe An, Thai explained.

“The case would have not happened if the Nghe An Red Cross classified the relief supplies,” Thai added.

“Some said that donators should be also blamed because they donated torn clothes. But I confirm that donators have no fault. Everyone wants to donate good items but many families are poor so anything that they donate is good. That’s our fault! This is a lesson for us!” Thai emphasized.

He said that the Vietnam Red Cross will use the donation cash to buy rice for flood victims. A detailed spending list will be published on the association website.

Nghe An police are also investigating the case.

PV