President Vo Van Thuong (second from left, front) and delegates at the launching ceremony of the programme. (Source: VNA)

The programme is expected to raise funds worth up to 400 billion VND (17.05 million USD) as well as working hours and construction materials from donors.

Addressing the event, President Thuong called on businesses, organisations, collectives and individuals inside and outside the country to join hands in implementing the programme, promoting the mutual support tradition of the Vietnamese people.

He lauded the Vietnam Fatherland Front for the idea, which aims to improve living conditions for local people in Dien Bien, a location attached to the glorious Dien Bien Phu Victory nearly 70 years ago, where local residents are still facing many difficulties.

The programme showed the determination to ensure that all local households have safe shelters and sustainably escape from poverty, the President said.

He asked the local Party Committees and administrations of Dien Bien and northwestern provinces to show stronger performance in managing and optimising support resources and effectively implementing solutions to ensure social welfare and assist locals to get rid of poverty and become richer.

Along with promoting its historical tradition and cultural values, the provinces should mobilise all resources for their fast and sustainable development, he said.

The State leader also requested Party and Government agencies from the central to local levels to pay greater attention to effectively realising policies to promote the socio-economic development of mountainous areas in general and Dien Bien in particular, focusing on implementing the national target programmes on new-style rural area building, sustainable poverty reduction and boosting socio-economic growth of ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas.

He directed the VFF, organisations, and media agencies to encourage people to rise from poverty and support far-flung areas.