The Vietnamese Defense Ministry has supported 30,579 households with hunger eradication and poverty alleviation since 2006. The above figure was announced at a five-year summary meeting of the campaign, “Days for the Poor”, launched by the whole army in the 2006-2011 period held on March 22nd in Hanoi. Other impressive figures included 13,971 new houses given to people and soldiers facing adversity, more than 230 welfare structures, nearly 7,000 kilometers of village roads upgraded and about 1 million people given free healthcare check-ups and medicines. Also at the meeting, participants discussed and gave recommendations for solutions to shortcomings. Addressing the meeting, Senior Lieutenant-General Bui Van Huan, Deputy-Head of the General Department of Politics, chief of the campaign organization board under the National Defense Ministry, asked units in the army to promote the meaning of such a campaign among soldiers and to mobilize all forces to give assistance to the poor in response to the campaign. Also on this occasion, the National Defense Ministry presented 15 Certificates of Merits to 15 groups with outstanding achievements in the campaign “Days for the Poor”. (www.qdnd.vn [1] Mar 23)
