The U.S. government will provide an aid package of more than $1 million for emergency assistance and longer-term disaster risk reduction in Vietnam, said the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink on November 10. The U.S. Ambassador said with a grant of $250,000 in disaster relief funds, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide sanitation, health-related, and commodity relief items for the areas most affected by typhoon Damrey. Last month, USAID pledged $800,000 in aid to the Vietnam Red Cross Society to implement disaster preparedness activities, which is expected to benefit more than 40,000 local residents in the three provinces under the framework of the project. Ambassador Kritenbrink said Vietnam remains vulnerable to a host of weather-related risks and climate change impact. Typhoon Damrey clearly demonstrated the importance of being prepared and able to effectively respond to disasters. The U.S. Ambassador’s announcement of the aid package has been made as the U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Vietnam to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. Earlier, Russia, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand also unveiled a total aid of $6.5 million to support victims of typhoon Damrey. (VOV Nov 10)
