Vietnam Red Cross to Integrate Humanitarian Aid into National Development Strategy

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam stated on July 28 at the opening session of the 12th National Congress of the Viet Nam Red Cross Society for the 2026–2031 term in Hanoi that humanitarian work must become an integral part of the national development strategy. The congress is taking place on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary of the Viet Nam Red Cross Society (November 23, 1946). The top leader, who has assumed the role of Honorary President of the Viet Nam Red Cross Society, said the Society should play a more active role in community-based disaster risk management by developing early warning systems, strengthening local emergency response forces, expanding first-aid networks, and promoting safe community models. Each commune, ward, and special administrative zone should gradually establish a trained volunteer force equipped with action plans and the capacity to provide timely assistance to vulnerable groups, particularly children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, people suffering from serious illnesses, and residents in remote, border, and island areas, he noted. The Society should also expeditiously develop a unified humanitarian database that is appropriately connected to national databases and the social security system, suggested To Lam. The Society should leverage big data, artificial intelligence, mapping technologies, and digital platforms to identify humanitarian needs, avoid duplication of assistance, coordinate resources more effectively, provide early warnings, monitor volunteers, and assess the impact of humanitarian programs, stressed the leader. Over the next five years, the Society targets to provide assistance to more than 50 million people, expand its membership to more than 1 million, maintain over 200,000 active volunteers, mobilize around 9 million units of blood, and provide first-aid training to 1.5–2 million people. It also aims to develop safe and disaster-ready community models to strengthen the resilience of individuals and communities./.