Hanoi (VNA)ﷺ - Within just over a week, in response to the call of the Vietnamese Association in Hungary, the Vietnamese community in the European country donated more than 8 million HUF (nearly 24,000 EUR) and many objects to support the local fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to the association, this is a record number showing the affection, kind heart, determination, and active contributions of the community to join Hungarian authorities in the struggle.

In particular, in the context that the community itself is facing many difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more units and individuals have made donations. Besides individuals, businesses and associations who made regular donations, there are also new faces in this campaign.

On April 7, some members of the Standing Committee of the Vietnamese Association in Hungary, on behalf of the community and the association, presented gifts bought from the money donated by the Vietnamese people to the units working in the front lines and "hot spots" of the fight against COVID-19 in Hungary.

♊ The gifts are all important commodities, some of which have been considered scarce in the European country recently, such as masks, gloves, disinfectant, and essential food. Therefore, they are very essential for local agencies.

The recipients include two very important medical facilities of Budapest capital, namely the National Institute of Hematology and Infectious Diseases at the Southern Pest Medical Center, which is tasked by the Hungarian government to treat COVID-19 patients, and Szent János Hospital.

In addition, the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Committee under the Mayor’s Office of Budapest is the third unit receiving the Vietnamese community’s support. A hand-over ceremony took place at its headquarters in the presence Budapest Deputy Mayor in charge of urban affairs Kerpel-Fronius Gábor.

ꦏ In their speeches, the Deputy Mayor of Budapest, Director of the Szent János Hospital Takács Péter, and doctor Vörös Péter from the South Pest Medical Center expressed their gratitude to the Vietnamese community in Hungary for their assistance.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Association and the Vietnamese community in Hungary, Dr. Phung Kim San, Permanent Vice Chairman of the association, shared the hearts of Vietnamese people living and working in Hungary who consider the European nation their second homeland and will stand side by side with their Hungarian friends in these difficult days.

The slogan "Joining together”, which is also the goal of the campaign, also expresses the wish of the Vietnamese community to join hands with Hungarians to overcome all difficulties.

In addition to the charitable activities initiated by the association, many Vietnamese people across Hungary have also supported the Hungarian authorities and people in the fight against COVID-19, which was noted and appreciated by local media and residents.

Earlier, at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 7 to hand over face masks to five European countries namely France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung said Vietnam understood the toll the coronavirus pandemic was taking all over the world, including the European nations.

Given the two sides’ traditional ties and strategic partnership, and the spirit of mutual support during challenging times, the Vietnamese Government has decided to do its part to help EU countries’ in their anti-pandemic efforts, and assist European people to protect their health and pull through this tough time, he said. He revealed that Vietnam plans to donate 550,000 Vietnamese-made anti-bacterial face masks to the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – five European countries hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic who are suffering from a critical shortage of medical supplies. On April 4, 88,000 masks and medical supplies donated by Vietnamese institutions, associations and businesses and citizens were shipped from Hanoi to Italy, one of the countries with the highest number of cases and death reported during the pandemic, according to the Italian embassy in Vietnam. Vietnam has so far recorded nearly 250 COVID-19 cases, mostly imported ones, with zero deaths so far. France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK in the meantime have reported over 500,000 cases in total while the number of casualties has surpassed 46,000./.