Vietnam ready to unite with countries to respond to natural disasters

VOV.VN- Vietnam remains ready to co-operate with international partners, agencies of both the UN and ASEAN, and international organisations to raise global awareness of mitigating disaster risks and improving adaptive capacity whilst responding to more effectively to natural disasters amid COVID-19.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh made the statement while attending a ceremony on October 13 held to mark International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM) held by the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Deputy PM Thanh said that the Party, State, Government, local authorities, and local socio-political organisations always pay close attention to disaster prevention and control measures. 

The country has actively joined several international organisations and forums relating to natural disaster prevention and mitigation. It is also an active member and effectively contributes to ASEAN's joint efforts in disaster risk reduction and prevention, the Deputy PM added.

However, there remains several limitations pertaining to forecast, warning, resources, equipment, infrastructure, forces, application of science and technology, and post-disaster recovery, he said. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to effectively cope with risks when they occur simultaneously alongside natural disasters.

The Vietnamese Government always considers natural disaster prevention and control to the main priority of the whole political system in order to protect the lives, health, and property of local citizens, Deputy PM Thanh said.

Vietnam therefore highly values and hopes that countries, organisations, and international friends continue to accompany and support the nation in gaining early access to advanced science and technology, along with resources to promptly respond and quickly overcome the impacts and consequences of natural disasters.

Ekkaphab Phanthavong, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General, acknowledged Vietnamese efforts in this regard, saying that the nation is a very active member in ASEAN.

Marco Toscano-Rivalta, chief of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), applauded the Vietnamese Government’s adoption of the national strategy for natural disaster prevention and control.

Mời quý độc giả theo dõi VOV.VN trên