Hanoi (VNA) – Fifty foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) inVietnam have received the Vietnam Union of FriendshipOrganisations (VUFO)'s certificate of merit for their active contributions during 2020.

The rewards were granted to the NGOs by Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga,Chairwoman of the VUFO, at a ceremony on December 21.

Addressing the event, Nga praised the spiritual and material support and activecooperation of more than 500 foreign NGOs in Vietnam, saying they have madeimportant contributions to the achievements of the country during the year fullof challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She noted that foreign non-governmental organisations, typically thosereceiving the certificate of merit this time, actively responded to the callof the VUFO to join hands with the Vietnamese people in fighting the COVID-19pandemic, coping with drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Deltaprovinces; and overcoming storm and flood consequences in a number of centralprovinces through specific, practical and timely programmes, projects andactivities.

Activities of the organisations also targeted disadvantagedgroups in the community such as women, children and people with disabilities,she added.

In2020, foreign NGOs provided aid to Vietnam in many socio-economic areas such ashealth, education, agricultural and rural development, and social issues,protection of natural resources and environment, with a total value estimatedat 250 million USD.

Of which nearly 9 million USD was for dealing with the aftermath of floods andstorms in the central region and 6.5 million USD for COVID-19 prevention andcontrol./.