HCMC – The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has written to the prime minister proposing providing poor households in some provinces with over 9,870 tons of rice for the Lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations.
If the proposal is approved, thousands of households in Tay Ninh, Cao Bang, Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan, Nghe An, Gia Lai and Quang Binh provinces will benefit from the aid package on the traditional holiday.
The ongoing fourth wave of the Covid pandemic has taken a heavy toll on residents, mainly those who lost their jobs or were furloughed, according to the ministry.
In addition, hail, flooding and long-term drought have pushed many families, especially poor and near-poor ones and ethnic households, into poverty.
As such, the seven provinces affected by the pandemic and natural disasters had earlier asked the ministries of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and Finance for rice support.
Under the proposal, nearly 7,000 tons of rice might be allocated to more than 141,650 households with 460,150 people in the above-mentioned provinces on Tet.
Cao Bang, Gia Lai and Quang Binh might receive over 2,970 tons of rice for more than 56,290 households during the 2022 base period.
