Over a million people from 200,000 families have got benefits from the national housing program for flooded areas in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam since 2001.

The program, that was initially expected to terminate in 2015, was allowed on April 10 by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to continue until 2020 to provide more assistance for people living in the flood-prone region.

At a meeting in Hau Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, PM Dung said that the program has completed most of the targets set out from the beginning and has received great support from the masses.

During the first stage of the program from 2001 to 2008, around 146,000 households were relocated to safe residential areas protected by dikes.

In the second stage that will end this year, 54,000 other households have been under the protection of the program.

However, another 8,400 households at risk have not benefited from the program, which is the reason why the premier has decided to extend it to 2020.

About 61,000 more households will be provided with aid from now to that year.

The government has spent VND9.2 trillion (US$428.2 million) on the program so far.

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