About VND7 billion (US$300,000) was donated to a programme during a recent signing ceremony in Hanoi to help the needy in the context of the raging COVID-19.

A family in HCM City prepares food portions free of charge
for poor people and hospital staff (Photo: www.sggp.org.vn)

The programmed, launched by Vietnam Youth League, aims to provide daily food portions to those individuals hard hit by the pandemic, as well as medical equipment for physicians fighting the disease.

It will be implemented from April 15 in the five major cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Can Tho. The portions will be directly delivered to the poor, the old, the homeless, laid off workers, and so on.

This is in response to the call by the Prime Minister that nobody is left behind in the period of the pandemic, organisers said.

Speaking at the ceremony, a representative of the youth organisations described the donation was a manifestation of social responsibility of firms towards the Vietnamese people. Meanwhile, representatives of the donors expressed the hope that the initiative will be broadened to other localities to help the needy.