The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Day this year will be greeted with a call for action against the negative impacts of urbanisation.
In Ho Chi Minh City, more than 5,000 people are expected to attend a ceremony organised on Saturday by the local Vietnam Red Cross chapter to mark the day.
The association has called for all citizens to co-operate with each other to minimise the adverse impacts of urbanisation.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society estimates more than 3 billion people the world over currently live in urban areas, and expects the number to increase to 4.9 billion in 2030.
Among them, 1 billion people live in slums or in unhygienic conditions and environments, with 680 million lacking clean water and 850 million having no access to proper toilets.
Urban environmental pollution, poverty and hunger, social evils, shortage of houses and jobs as well as epidemics caused by urbanisation are huge problems facing countries despite efforts taken to tackle them, the society says.
This year, the Viet Nam Red Cross had focused on key activities including the Tet (Lunar New Year) for poor people and Agent Orange/Dioxin victims and cow banks for poor families, said Doan Van Thai, deputy chairman of the association.
The association had encouraged enterprises in the city to provide vocational training and create jobs for people of working age, especially those with disabilities.
It had also been co-operating with other relevant agencies to work out preferential policies for people living in areas affected by urbanisation, Thai said.
The association had mobilised money and essential goods worth VND190 billion (US$200 million) to support 832,460 families and Agent Orange/Dioxin victims since the beginning of this year, he added.
It had also upgraded and built 424 houses for poor people, presented 2,080 milch cows and provided livestock breeding know-how to families in 18 poor districts to help them climb out of poverty, he added.
Source: VNS