Laos received 1,000 tons of rice from the governments of Japan and Korea during an ASEAN Plus Three handover ceremony on Wednesday.
The handover ceremony highlighted a significant contribution from the Japanese and Korean governments through the ASEAN plus three emergency aid project in 2021, aimed at providing assistance to people in Laos affected by flooding.
The handover ceremony was witnessed by officials from 17 Ministries, led by Mr. Lipao Yang, Deputy Prime Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Mr. Libao Yang expressed his gratitude towards both the governments of Japan and Korea for their kind support, as well as thanking the Secretariat of the Treasury in Bangkok, Thailand. He also vowed to ensure that rice distribution would reach flood victims around the country.
In August 2021, Laos was chosen to receive and store the 1,000 tons of rice, 700 tons of which were from Korea, while another 300 tons was donated by Japan.
The Ministry of Agriculture was therefore compelled to summarize rice demand data and submit it to the ASEAN Plus Three Rice Treasury Secretariat in order to obtain approval to use the emergency rice.
Laos experienced widespread flooding during its monsoon season this year, with extreme flooding events in recent years linked to climate change.
