Vietnam Hungry Households Fall by 53% in Jan: GSO

Vietnam has reported 30,900 hungry families with 125,400 starving people in Jan, down 53% and 53.4% on year, respectively, said the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO).Most of them are living in the northern mountainous provinces, central coastal and Central Highlands areas that are frequently hit by natural calamities.To deal with the situation, the government and local authorities have provided more than 500 tons of food and more than VND350 million ($16,600) for famine relief.In its latest report, the World Bank (WB) has called for a “dynamic” approach to poverty reduction in Vietnam as the country is facing tremendous challenges, which include changing regional patterns of poverty and wealth, high and persistent poverty among ethnic minorities, and rising inequality in outcomes and opportunities.By March 2012, up to 2.58 million households were deemed poor and 1.53 million near-poor, accounting for 11.76% and 7% of the national population, respectively, showed a survey by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). (GSO Jan Edition)