Hanoi (VNA) 🏅– Foreign non-governmental organisations(NGOs) provided aid worth more than 220.7 million USD for Vietnam in 2020,including over 6.5 million USD for COVID-19 response, heard a nationalteleconference on March 17.

A report delivered at the event, which reviewed foreign NGO affairslast year and set up tasks for 2021, noted that in 2020, activities of foreignNGOs, the Committee for Foreign NGO Affairs, localities, and ministries andsectors were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic along with commondifficulties facing the world. In that context, the committee and relevant agenciesproactively and flexibly organised activities while localities also worked hardto support and cooperate with foreign NGOs, resulting in encouraging outcomes. Of the over 220.7 million USD worth of aid, 41.3 percentcame from European NGOs, 36.2 percent from North America, and 22.5 percent fromAsia, focusing on Vietnam’s priority areas like healthcare, social issues, andsocio-economic development. Notably, foreign NGOs offered strong assistance for thecountry in coping with natural disasters and the pandemic, the report said,elaborating that 115 foreign NGOs gave more than 6.5 million USD worth of financialsupport, medical supplies, essential goods and training to help with COVID-19response. They also provided assistance worth nearly 9 million USD for central provinces hit by floods last year. At the teleconference, representatives of localities, ministries,and sectors asked for increased information exchange, partner matching, as wellas training for personnel in charge of foreign NGO affairs. They also called for legal documents on the affairs to beoverhauled and meetings held this year to encourage assistance from theorganisations. Phan Anh Son, Vice Chairman of the Committee for Foreign NGOAffairs, said foreign NGOs, ministries, sectors, and localities need tomaintain close and timely coordination with the committee in the time ahead. Meanwhile, relevant agencies should strongly reform methodsfor managing and attracting support from foreign NGOs so as to contribute tonational socio-economic development, he added./.