A memo to this effect was signed between the French and Vietnamese Red Cross in Hanoi on January 28, with a view to providing supplies of rice and food prior to the lunar New Year festival (Tet) along with rice seedlings, fertilisers and livestock after Tet, to help storm victims boost their household economy.

The commitment was made on top of VND13.5 billion in emergency relief for the targeted provinces of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh in the central region and Gia Lai and Kon Tum in the Central Highlands, which were hit by two deadly storms in 2009.

During its eight-day trip, the FRC delegation, led by its President Prof. Jean Francois Mattel, also inspected its funded projects in the mountainous northern province of Bac Kan and the central provinces of Phu Yen and Binh Dinh.