Nguyen Hai Duong, President of the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) Central Committee, unveiled the figures at a meeting between the two Red Cross organisations in Hanoi on February 20.
Duong noted bilateral relations have developed significantly, especially since USRC set up its representative office in Vietnam in 2002.
The US organisation has supported disabled people and Agent Orange victims in 9 provinces and cities, provided nutrition and hygiene knowledge for school children in 6 provinces, and cared for HIV patients in 4 provinces and cities.
It has provided US$3.3 million for a climate change adaptation project in Nam Dinh and Long An provinces.
For its part, VRC has actively taken part in movements launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and assisted Japan, Laos and Cambodia in dealing with the consequences of natural disasters. Notably, in 2005, the association together with Vietnamese people supported victims of Hurricane Katrina in the US.
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The aid projects have contributed to strengthening friendship and relations between Vietnam and the US, Duong said.
Duong stressed Vietnam has suffered heavily from the consequences of the past two wars and it is one of the top ten countries seriously affected by climate change and rising sea levels, with dozens of storms battering its coast each year.
He expressed hope international aid organisations, including USRC, will provide additional assistance to help Vietnam overcome war aftermath and mitigate the consequences of natural disasters.
USRC Vice President Harold Wayne Brooks shared experiences in carrying out humanity program. He said the two organisations should further promote cooperation, especially in natural disaster mitigation, climate change response and raising public awareness of climate change.
USRC is committed to further supporting Vietnam in humanity work, he said.
USRC delegates inspected two projects on disasters’ risks mitigation and HIV care services in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Ha Tinh, Hanoi, Haiphong, Thai Nguyen and Son La.