(VOVworld) – Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has directed the deployment by relevant agencies of the Asian Development Bank’s emergency aid to help Vietnam deal with impacts of drought and saline intrusion in the South Central, Central Highlands, and Mekong Delta regions.

A farmer works on his rice field, which has been mostly destroyed by saltwater intrusion, in An Bien district, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang. (Photo: VNA)

Minh directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to properly allocate official development assistance (ODA) and concessional loans provided by foreign donors. The State Bank of Vietnam, the MARD, and related agencies have been tasked with preparing all necessary paperwork for receiving the aid without delay.