Ha Giang (VNA) - The northwest mountainous Ha Giang provincialPeople’s Committee and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) havehelped construct 26.5km of new rural roads connecting 17 hamlets of Yen Minh districtand four other hamlets of Dong Van district.

The province said the rural road system will help connect rural mountainouscommunes of Na Khe, Lao Va Chai, Huu Vinh, Ngam La and Du Gia with the centreof Yen Minh district, and hamlets of Lung Tao and Sinh Lung communes with DongVan district’s centre.

With funding and support from the Government of Japan, UNDP has helped morethan 1,200 poor ethnic minority people whose livelihoods have been severelyimpacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to earn an income.

Through this support, not only do ethnic minority people have more money fortheir daily lives, but they have also contributed to building roads that willimprove transportation between hard-to-reach areas.

The UNDP’s gender-sensitive assessment of the socio-economic impacts of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam found that vulnerable households have beendisproportionately impacted, especially households of ethnic people, migrantand informal workers.

Meanwhile, incomes from agriculture and tourism activities have beensignificantly reduced due to border closures and travel restrictions, worseningthe already-challenging conditions being faced by ethnic groups living in Ha Giangprovince.

Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, said: “Besidesproviding incomes for more than 1,200 people to cover their essential needs andbegin to recover their livelihoods during the pandemic, the 19 roadsconstructed through this project will assist 8,000 people from ethnicminorities in mountainous areas, including women, the elderly and children, toaccess education, health services, markets and employment, ensuring that no oneis left behind.”

Duong Anh Phuong, Vice Chairwoman of the Ha Giang Women’s Union added: “This isa very helpful package to support the very poor who have lost their jobs due tothe COVID-19 pandemic. We have also provided consultations and support for thewomen who received this assistance on how to more effectively use the money,such as buying seedlings, breeding stock, and the like.”

Phan A Chau, head of Na Ngu hamlet, Ngam La commune said: “We are very happy,and all the support from the donor, the local government, and the Women’s Unionis highly appreciated. Thanks for supporting us with new roads and income forthe local poor people.”

UNDP has also mobilised funding from the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) toprovide emergency support for 600 members of fabric cooperatives in theprovince that were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in which each memberreceived 2.3 million VND (100 USD) and a PPE package to minimise the risk ofinfection./.