(VOVworld)- The US Government has provided 500,000 USD in additional emergency assistance to people in Mekong Delta provinces as they experienced the worst drought and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam in the last decade, US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius announced on July 5.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Vietnam Red Cross would spend the fund on providing water containers, saltwater filtration systems and water purification tablets as well as helping people to exercise good sanitation and hygiene practices to prevent diseases.

Earlier, in May, the US granted Vietnam 350,000 USD to help the country’s response to drought and saltwater intrusion that reportedly hit 22 out of 63 cities and provinces across Vietnam.

Since 2000, the US, through USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, has provided approximately 12 million USD in disaster response, preparedness and risk reduction assistance to Vietnam.