New Zealand assists Hai Duong in overcoming COVID-19 impacts

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New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam and East Meets West provide livelihoods recovery for poor 270 households overcome the impacts of COVID-19 in five communes in Kim Mon district, Hai Duong province. Source: EMWF

The New Zealand Embassy is providing VND 800 million (NZD 50,000 or USD 34.800) to support 270 households in five communes in Kim Mon district, Hai Duong province which once was the country’s biggest pandemic hotspot in the latest resurgence that began on January 27.

To empower vulnerable poor women to overcome difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, EMWF, in collaboration with the Women's Union of Hai Duong province, will support 270 poor and vulnerable women's households; priority is given to households with people with disabilities with the total number of beneficiaries expected to be 1,215 people in five communes of Kinh Mon district.

Through the project, vulnerable female-headed households will receive support to restore their livelihoods to improve incomes, especially when the situation is unstable. EMWF will collaborate with agricultural economists to complete a need assessment better to understand the demand for agricultural products or services, thereby providing livelihood products such as seeds, breeds, fertilizer, or production tools that suitable to each family.

In addition, these households will also receive financial hardship relief to support their purchase of necessities such as food, medicine, children's books, and tuition fees or/and healthcare services.

"Thanks to this meaningful support, vulnerable poor women will receive support to restore their livelihoods to improve incomes such as seeds, breeds, fertilizer, or production tools suitable for each family. "We believe that this project, with cooperation with the Women's Union of Hai Duong province, vulnerable poor women families will have the opportunity to access resources for sustainable economic development and overcome the difficulties caused by the pandemic," Nguyen Hong Hanh, EMWF Country Director shared.

“This practical initiative will help ease the economic impacts of COVID-19 on women and their families. Certain groups have become more economically vulnerable during the pandemic, and we believe that this project will help families in Hai Duong to get back on their feet,” said New Zealand Ambassador Tredene Dobson.

"Women are not victims, and we know that they will be at the forefront of the economic recovery, and we will be there to support them," said Dobson.

Since January 27 when the third wave of COVID-19 began, Hai Duong has recorded over 700 infections. Photo by VnExpress/Than Hoang.

According to the UN Women report, 87% of women reported that their incomes had been reduced due to the impact of the pandemic, and expressed concerns about rising unemployment rates and reduced demand for output when the pandemic ends. Therefore, one of the urgent needs is to support female workers and those struggling with the pandemic's prolonged economic fallout through COVID-19 response and economic recovery assistance programs.

Since January 27 when the third wave of COVID-19 began, Hai Duong has recorded over 700 infections, according to the provincial Centre for Decease Control./.

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