(VOVworld) - The Prime Minister has approved an aid package of 23 million USD for 34 localities across the nation to address the consequences of drought and saltwater intrusion during the 2015-2016 Winter-Spring crops. 

Earlier in February, the Government leader also agreed to provide 3.8 million USD for six localities to counter drought and saline intrusion in the 2015 Summer-Autumn crops. It is predicted that drought and saline intrusion will peak in March, but will last until June. Across the Mekong Delta – Vietnam’s largest rice producer, as many as 140,000ha of rice have been damaged so far, nearly 90,000 ha of which resulted in a 70 percent loss. More than 150,000 regional households with 600,000 people are lacking fresh water.