VietNamNet Bridge – About 95 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Viet Nam yesterday pledged US$165 million to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty in 2012 at a meeting in Ha Noi.

The country now has 3 million poor households and about 1.6 million near-poor households, according to the latest statistics by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Poor households are those with an average monthly income below VND400,000 ($19) in rural areas and VND500,000 ($24) for urban areas in Viet Nam.

Near-poor households earn an average income of VND401,000-VND520,000 ($19-$25) per month in rural areas and VND501,000-VND600,000 ($24-$29) per month in urban areas.

Poverty reduction by 2015 is among the country's Millennium Development Goals.

About 800 NGOs have donated $1.7 billion to Viet Nam over the past ten years, according to the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO).

The money has been mainly used to develop the economy, boost health and education, tackle the consequences of war and offset the consequences of natural disasters.

Vu Xuan Hong, chairman of the VUFO, said: "Donations from NGOs over the past few years have made a significant contribution to Viet Nam's sustainable growth."

In a related move, the VUFO held a meeting yesterday to honour 121 organisations and individuals for their contributions to peace, friendship and poverty reduction in Viet Nam.

Hoang Phuong Thao, a representative from ActionAid International in Viet Nam (AAV), said the NGO planned to step up its activities in both rural and remote areas and poor urban centres from 2012-17.

The AAV has also set up programmes to cope with natural disasters and climate change and support for vulnerable children and women, while also helping children get access to better quality education, Thao said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News