The decisionwas made in response to an emergency appeal of the International Federation of Red Cross, the Italian Embassy in Vietnam said in a press release on October 20. 

The new fund, to be managed by the Vietnam Red Cross Society, will be used to provide a wide range of relief goods and basic necessities to the flood victims and to finance activities aimed at enhancing the early-warning and response systems for natural disasters. Part of the fund will be earmarked for housing reconstruction programmes.

The support demonstrates the profound friendship and solidarity between the Italian and Vietnamese people, the embassy said. It is the second emergency intervention in Vietnam approved by the Italian government in less than a year. 
Italy approved a 1 million EUR grant for Vietnamese victims of typhoon Kammuri in 2008. Part of the funding has been invested in infrastructure projects that are nearing completion in the northern provinces of Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Lao Cai.