ADB helps poor provinces improve rural infrastructure

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Directory approved a US$108 million assistance package on October 25 for rural roads and irrigation systems in some of Vietnam’s poorest areas.

The assistance targets 15 mountainous provinces in northern Vietnam where more than one in four families live in poverty.

The project will support the upgrade of 600 kilometers of rural roads, and better irrigation systems for 12,400 hectares of farmland.

"This project will help farming communities to boost their rice yield by 25%, and make it possible for them to respond to market demands and diversify to more profitable crops," said David Salter, a Rural Development Specialist in ADB's Southeast Asia Department.

"Travelling time, effort and costs will be reduced by an average of 55% while reliable transport will be introduced, enabling farmers several marketing options." He said.

Many rural mountainous communities lack the infrastructure to overcome physical isolation and limits their access to economic opportunities and services, which directly contributes to high levels of poverty.

Over VND19 bil raised for flood victims

The Vietnam Red Cross Association (VRC) has by October 22 raised over VND19 billion (US$960,000) from individuals and organisations in the country and abroad to flood victims in central Vietnam.

Photo: VNA
Of the sum, VND 10.85 billion was from foreign donors.
The donations included 155,000 Swiss France from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, US$100,000 from the Government and the Red Cross society of the Republic of Korea, UD$80,000 from the Government and the Red Cross of the US, US$60,000 from the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi and the Chinese Red Cross society, and US$30,000 from the Singaporean Red Cross.
The VRC has sent four missions to provide water filters, blankets, mosquito nets, tents, food, rice seeds, as well as books, text books and other necessities for flood victims.
By October 21, floods caused by heavy rains claimed 76 lives and left 6 missing in the central region.
They included 15 passengers on a bus, 24 people in Nghe An province, 20 in Ha Tinh province, 12 in Quang Binh province and 5 people in Thanh Hoa province.

Association set up to search for soldiers’ remains

The first congress of the Association to Assist Families of Fallen Servicemen was held in Hanoi on October 24 in the presence of Deputy Prime Ministers Pham Gia Khiem and Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The association set some main targets such as collecting information on the remains of fallen soldiers, providing advice for those who want to search for soldiers’ remains, and identifying genes of unknown remains according to the law.

The association’s activities are non-profit and serve only the search and identification of the remains of unknown soldiers.

General Le Van Han, head of the association, said the DNA identification of the remains of those killed in action has proved accurate and some biological institutes are willing to undertake establishing a gene bank for the fallen soldiers.

Addressing the association’s congress, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan stressed the hardship as well as significance of the searching work, which he said would help ease the hearts of relatives of soldiers killed in action.

Vietnam-Brazil Friendship Magazine makes debut

The Vietnam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) published a Friendship Magazine with its special issue on Vietnam-Brazil relations on October 25.

The publication marked the 21st anniversary of establishment of Vietnam-Brazil diplomatic ties and Brazil’s 188th Independence Day.

The magazine holds articles and photos introducing Brazil, its land and people and culture as well as reviewing bilateral cooperation in all fields.

Article authors include diplomatic staff, businesspeople and those who have studied and run investment for a long time in Brazil and Vietnam.

Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam Joao de Mendonca Lima Neto and Dr Nguyen Van Long, Chairman of the Vietnam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association said the association’s work will serve as a bridge for both countries to promote mutual understanding and friendship.

The Brazilian Ambassador said he hoped two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Brazil will reach US$800 million this year.

VND130 million more for flood victims

The Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HAUFO) received flood relief valued at more than VND130 million on October 25.

Foreign embassies in Vietnam and businesses donated the assistance for flood victims in the central region.

From October 23-25, the HAUFO paid a visit to Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, the delegation was especially included Palestinian Ambassador Saadi Salama.     

Another delegation from Binh Dinh province also offered VND516 million to flood victims in Ha Tinh province to overcome difficulties. Previously, Binh Dinh province provided urgent relief aid worth VND650 million to Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces.

US$30 million for waste treatment in An Giang

The US-based Lemna International Group was licensed to invest US$30 million in building an urban waste treatment facility in the Mekong Delta’s An Giang province.

The plant, Lemna’s third project in Vietnam, is designed to handle 300 tonnes of rubbish per day in 2013, which will be doubled after 2025.

Once operational in 2013, the plant will help reduce 90 percent of the Mekong Delta region’s demand for waste treatment.

VNN/VOV/VNS