EU supports people affected by drought, saline intrusion in Vietnam
The European Union (EU) has decided to provide 60,000 EUR (66,600 USD) in humanitarian aid for the Mekong Delta to help local residents cope with drought and saltwater intrusion.
Providing drinking water to poor people in Ben Tre province amid drought and saline intrusion (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The European Union (EU) has decided to provide 60,000EUR (66,600 USD) in humanitarian aid for the Mekong Delta to help local residents cope with droughtand saltwater intrusion.
The aid is expected to benefit 24,000 people in provincesseriously hit by drought and saltwater intrusion.
The funding will be channeled to the Vietnam Red Cross Society to provide clean drinking water for locals, step up activities to improvesanitation and healthcare for families affected by the lack of clean water.Disease prevention campaigns will be implemented regularly to reduce risks ofwater source-related diseases.
The aid is part of the EU’s contribution to the DisasterRelief Emergency Fund (DREF) under the International Federation of Red Crossand Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
In early 2020, the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s largestagricultural and aquacultural centre, has been seriously hit by droughts caused byclimate change, resulting in the lack of clean water in many localities. Thescarcity of water also caused serious saltwater intrusion in 10 out of 13 provinces in the region, with saltwater penetrating 30-40 km inland. The problem has threatened food security and affected livelihoods and daily lives of nearly 700,000 people in the region./.
Saline intrusion has occurred earlier than normal in the Mekong Delta and is expected to affect a greater area this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta is taking steps to ensure sufficient freshwater supply for household use and agricultural production in areas affected by saltwater intrusion and drought.
Erosion and subsidence along canals, rivers and coasts have been severe in many areas in the Mekong Delta and local authorities are struggling to raise funds for works to prevent them.
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Providing drinking water to poor people in Ben Tre province amid drought and saline intrusion (Photo: VNA) 
