Addressing the congress, VNRC Chairman Tran Ngoc Tang praised the VNRC’s efforts to launch community-based activities to help millions of people living in difficult circumstances. Over the past five years, the association has included over 17,000 full-time cadres, 5 million association members and 4 million young people.

Over the past few years, Red Cross chapters throughout the country have built 44 centres for natural disaster control and mobilised more than VND5,000 billion to help poor people, families of social policy beneficiaries and victims of Agent Orange/ Dioxin. In addition, more than US$5 million has been raised to support people in countries hit by natural disasters like China, Thailand and Cuba.

Local Red Cross associations have planted over 24,000 hectares of forest in north-central provinces, built more than 27,500 Red Cross houses, and collected VND687billion to support Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) programs for the poor.

Providing care for people in difficult circumstances is a driving force behind the VNRC’s emulation movement, Mr Tang emphasised.