Ms. Tredene Dobion (centre) presents the support package
to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu
The project will include 1 million NZD for medical equipment, provided through UNICEF Vietnam, and 1 million NZD for community level economic recovery support through CARE International and Oxfam in Vietnam.
Ambassador Tredene Dobson said that: “This project acknowledges that there is a two-fold approach to COVID recovery. On the one hand there is an on-going health response and this is why Aoteara New Zealand is working with UNICEF to deliver medical equipment to areas where it is needed for the ongoing safe and effective response to COVID-19.”
“However, there is also a significant economic impact from the pandemic so following consultation with the Government of Vietnam, we wanted to ensure that this project also supported economic recovery amongst some of Vietnam’s most vulnerable communities, both in the major urban centers but also in hard hit rural areas,” she added.
In his speech at the event, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu said that after two years of the outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam has been basically controlled, but economic consequences are still very heavy.
Therefore, the New Zealand’s support package is very significant as it focuses on improving livelihood conditions, creating jobs, and improving the lives of people, especially the poor.
The partnership with UNICEF Vietnam will focus on providing medical equipment to support vaccination and treatment of children in Vietnam.
Ms Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam said: “Health systems have experienced terrible disruptions in essential health and other social services worldwide, including health services not related to COVID. This has had a significant impact on the well-being of children and women beyond that of the COVID-19 disease itself. While it is necessary to focus on the response to the pandemic, it is essential to also strengthen the preparedness of the health system to future outbreaks.”
“The medical equipment provided thanks to New Zealand will contribute to the preparedness of the health system for future outbreaks,” she emphasized.
The projects with CARE International in Vietnam and Oxfam in Vietnam will support a total of 5,400 persons who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Most assistance will be directed to women, people with disabilities and members of ethnic minority communities in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Quang Tri, and Ha Giang provinces.
Speaking of the collaboration with the New Zealand, Ms Le Kim Dung, Country Director of CARE International in Vietnam said: “CARE believes that this grant will support over 3,100 people from vulnerable households in ethnic minority communities in Quang Tri and Ha Giang recover quickly from the shock after Covid-19 pandemic.”
Ms. Vu Thi Quynh Hoa, National Director of Oxfam in Vietnam also shared: “In this project, Oxfam and partners will support job skill trainings and financial assistance for at least 2,300 informal workers such as street vendors, small family business shops, and lottery ticket sellers in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong to build their livelihood resilience.”
Over the past two years, the New Zealand Embassy has successfully delivered several COVID-19 response projects totalling 270,000 NZD through its partners, assisting more than 3,300 female workers in various sectors and 130 children with disabilities as well as members of the hearing-impaired community in Vietnam by Oxfam in Vietnam, ActionAid in Vietnam, East Meets West, CARE International in Vietnam, Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, Tan Binh Centre, and SCDeaf./.