Over three million Vietnamese families are living under the poverty line, accounting for 14.2% of the country’s households, said the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs (MoLISA). According to the ministry, 7.49% of Vietnamese families are on the verge of poverty. The ministry announced the statistics after auditing the efficiency of a national poverty reduction program in the first six months of this year. Under the country’s new poverty standard for the 2011-2015 period, the poverty line in urban areas stands at VND500,000 ($24) per person per month and in rural areas, VND400,000 ($19.1) per person per month. Rural residents with a monthly income of VND401,000-VND520,000 ($19.2-$25) are on the verge of living under the poverty line. The threshold for urban areas are VND501,000-VND650,000 ($24-$31.1) per person per month, the ministry said. The Government of Vietnam has mapped out a new poverty reduction plan, under which the country will pay more attention to multi-dimensional poverty reduction based on practical and sustainable support policies. According to last year’s general survey of poor households, the majority of the country’s poor are located in the north-west. The survey also indicated that Dien Bien Province, in the north-west, topped the index, with a household poverty rate of 50% last year. It was followed by Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Ha Giang Provinces with rates of over 40%. (www2.dtinews.vn Aug 27)
