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Coronavirus pandemic
This Week in AsiaHealth & Environment

Volunteers in Vietnam come to the rescue as coronavirus lockdown hits the vulnerable

  • Vietnam’s strict lockdown to curb its fourth wave of Covid-19 infections has left many unable to work, go out to get food, or even get oxygen
  • Individuals and up to 90 community groups and organisations have stepped in where authorities fell short, but their efforts are not always coordinated

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A woman sits on the pavement opposite a vaccination centre in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Authorities expect it will take months to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the region. Photo: Bloomberg
Sen Nguyen
When Phuong joined Vietnamese community charity Happy Vegetable Trip over a month ago, she was amazed at the amount of work involved in getting free food to those in need. It included mobilising volunteers, keeping track of vegetable stocks, securing permits from local authorities to venture out during lockdown, and ensuring every volunteer had protective equipment.
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“I didn’t know how things work at the beginning. Everyone is a volunteer but we try very hard to make sure our activities run smoothly so we can help many people,” the coordinator said, asking not to reveal her last name.

“Everyone is hoping things will get better and people can return to their normal lives with their families and friends,” she added.

Since early July, when Vietnam imposed Covid-19 lockdown measures, the charity has been distributing vegetables and fruit to residents of Ho Chi Minh City and its adjacent localities Dong Nai and Binh Duong. Known locally as Chuyen rau vui ve, it buys produce from struggling farmers to support them while also helping to feed others.

Community groups and individual volunteers like this are chipping in to share the burden of the fourth wave as Vietnam’s coronavirus cases continue to soar, fuelled by the Delta variant. The country has reported over 228,000 cases, compared to less than 3,000 in late April, with most infections being recorded in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s southern economic hub. The death toll has increased to over 3,700.

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