Vietnam is estimated to have recorded 622,800 hungry families this year, including 2.62 million starveling people, down 21.7% and 14.6% from a year earlier, respectively. The figures include 14,600 hungry households with 64,300 starveling people in Nov, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said. Most of the households are mainly in rural remote mountainous provinces, central coastal areas and central highlands region, the GSO added. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will propose the government to provide food for hunger relief in seven provinces on the occasion of the Lunar New Year festival or Tet holiday. They are Ha Tinh, Quang Ngai, Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Nghe An, Kon Tum provinces. The move follows a call from Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh for an assessment of the food situation and the amount of rice required to ease the shortages. Last year, the government provided more than 37,500 tons of rice from the national reserve for 14 localities. (GSO Dec Edition)
