The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association on Wednesday donated more than 600 million VND (more than 26,000 USD) in financial aid and over 225,000 face masks to help Laos’ people combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Representatives of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) and the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association present more than 600 million VND in financial aid and more than 225,000 face masks to Laos. Photo VUFO

During the handing-over ceremony on Wednesday at the Lao Embassy in Vietnam, Tran Van Tuy, president of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association, said the association always keeps close watch on the current Covid-19 development in Laos and sympathizes with difficulties that Laos’ people are experiencing.

He believed that under the sound leadership of Laos’ Party and State, along with determination and consensus of authorized agencies and Laos’ people, Laos will be able to soon control the pandemic and continue to focus on socio-economic development goals.

Laos’ Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang informed the Vietnamese side of complicated Covid-19 development in Laos and thanked Vietnamese Party and State for kind and timely support, especially for mobilizing experts and sending medical equipment to support Laos.

From May 11 to 15, a group of medical experts from Vietnamese health ministry were present in Champasak province to help Laos contain Covid-19. Photo Ministry of Health

A fund-raising campaign which called for donation for Laos was launched by the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association between May 6 and 14.

Within the framework of the campaign, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of southern Dong Nai province presented 20,000 face masks to Champasak, Laos on May 11.

The Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of central Quang Tri province donated 200 hand sanitizing bottles and 38,200 face masks to its two brother Lao provinces - Savanakhet and Salavan.

The fund-raising campaign collected 605.55 million VND in total. Among those, Hai Duong province donated 500 million VND.

Millions of face masks have been sent by Vietnamese State and people to Laos. Photo VNA

Earlier in April, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association provided 500 protective suits and 18,500 face masks for Laos.

As of Thursday morning, Laos logged 1,737 cases of Covid-19 with two deaths and 708 recoveries./.

Rosemary Nguyen