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As of Nov. 25, the Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam (Vietnam Fatherland Front - VFF) announced that its Central Relief Mobilization Committee had received 2,088.5 trillion đồng in contributions from more than 1.05 million individuals and over 61,000 businesses.

This figure does not include funds mobilized through channels outside the Central Relief Mobilization Committee. According to incomplete data, as of Nov. 24, the Fatherland Front branches at various levels had collectively raised more than 3,200 trillion đồng for flood-relief efforts.

Given such substantial sums—and the VFF’s growing tendency to monopolize disaster-relief fundraising—many will inevitably ask: How is the Front using this money? This question is not unique to the present moment; it resurfaces every time Việt Nam faces natural disasters or public-health crises.

When entrusting their money and goodwill to a charitable entity, donors naturally expect the highest level of transparency. This is why the term “sao kê” (bank statements) has repeatedly surfaced in charity-related debates. Yet this spotlight has not quite reached the country’s largest relief hub: the Việt Nam Fatherland Front.

With every flood, storm, or epidemic, the amount the VFF receives from the public reaches into the hundreds of billions—even trillions—of đồng. And still, how the VFF actually allocates relief funds remains a major question, as available information is anything but clear.

This ambiguity undermines the trust of individuals and organizations who donate in good faith to support compatriots in crisis. As a state-affiliated body, the public reasonably expects the VFF to set the standard for transparency.

When COVID-19 Erupted As COVID-19 spread across Việt Nam—especially in Hồ Chí Minh City—theVFF called on the entire population to contribute to the national pandemic response.

By May 1, 2021, the total amount mobilized by the VFF system and the Vaccine Fund exceeded 19.310 trillion đồng. Of that, the Vaccine Fund collected over 8.779 trillion đồng and spent approximately 6.938 trillion đồng on vaccine purchases and pandemic-response activities.

This is what the government publicly reported. However, details of specific expenditures—such as vaccine-purchase contracts—were never disclosed. This was despite Government Circular No. 41/2021, which clearly required, under Article 25, that monthly, biannual, annual, and final financial reports for the Vaccine Fund be made public.

By the end of 2021, the Vaccine Fund had disbursed less than 5% of its total mobilized funds. Accompanying this were a few irregular, inconsistent financial reports posted on the Ministry of Finance’s portal and the official Vaccine Fund website. The lack of information and transparency was evident. And yet, some individuals were punished simply for raising questions about the Vaccine Fund’s opacity.

When Typhoon Yagi Made Landfall Until the fundraising campaign for Typhoon Yagi in 2024, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front had never publicly released thousands of pages of bank statements showing contributions made through its accounts. It was an unprecedented gesture—one that has not been repeated since.

At first glance, this move appeared transparent. But a closer look reveals that all of the information disclosed only reflected how much money the VFF received—nothing more.

By November 2024, the VFF announced it had collected nearly 2.186 trillion đồng in donations for communities affected by Typhoon Yagi, of which more than 2.040 trillion đồng had been allocated to 26 provinces and cities in the disaster zone. Beyond this, the VFF provided only basic figures: the amount allocated in each disbursement and the amount each locality received. And that was it.

By February 2025, the VFF reported a total of 5.303 trillion đồng raised, with 3.494 trillion đồng disbursed to localities. As usual, the publicly released data went no further.

Is this level of information enough for people to “feel assured that their contributions have reached the right destination and will get to those affected,” as the VFF claims?

From the COVID-19 pandemic to Typhoon Yagi—and similarly with the annual fundraising campaigns for central Việt Nam during flood season—the VFF has never published any detailed disclosure on how this money is actually used.

What About the Present? The figure of more than 2,000 trillion đồng reported as of Nov. 25 reflects multiple fundraising campaigns launched after Storms No. 10, 11, 12, and 13, as well as during the severe flooding that struck Central Việt Nam and the Central Highlands this past November.

In addition, as noted earlier, from early Oct. to Nov. 24, the entire VFF system received more than 3,200 trillion đồng in public contributions. Yet, by the end of November, the Front had allocated only about 678.182 billion đồng across nine disbursements to 23 provinces and cities.

Among the hardest-hit localities in the South Central Coast, the following amounts were announced: Gia Lai received 45 billion đồng; Đắk Lắk 40 billion đồng; Khánh Hòa 20 billion đồng; and Lâm Đồng 20 billion đồng.

That is the entirety of the output data the VFF has released regarding the thousands of billions of đồng collected. More specifically, some grassroots-level units have disclosed only the amounts received, accompanied by bank statements listing incoming transfers.

In October 2025, VFF representatives stated they would continue publishing bank statements—as done during Typhoon Yagi—so donors could track contributions. They also claimed aid-distribution lists would be posted in villages for local monitoring. However, for donors who wish to follow this information remotely, there is no clear mechanism to access these updates.

It is evident that VFF disclosures rarely go beyond stating total receipts and total allocations. There is no information on fund balances carried over, or itemized expenditures with supporting documentation. A random review of “front-work activity reports” from provincial committees like Lào Cai and Quảng Bình (2024) reveals only vague information. Expenditures worth billions are listed in broad strokes: 800 million đồng for three districts to purchase goods; 638 million đồng to support victims; or 16,000 gift packages valued at over 9.58 billion đồng.

Such ambiguous descriptions reveal nothing meaningful. Based on this, the public cannot determine whether the money reached the right people. Many people once mocked the singer couple Công Vinh – Thủy Tiên for disclosing 177 billion đồng on a single A4 sheet of paper. But it appears that even a well-structured state institution like the VFF is not doing much better.

Meanwhile, the VFF issued Guideline No. 16, requiring the transparent disclosure of all funds in accordance with Ministry of Finance Circular No. 41/2022. Yet, regulations say one thing, and reality says another.

According to The New York Times, Việt Nam will suffer increasingly severe storm damage each year. If this situation does not change, the public’s trust—and the spirit of “the intact leaf protecting the torn leaf”—will erode further. This problem is even more serious now that the VFF has become the near-monopoly charity organization during natural disasters and public-health crises.

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Trường An wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Dec. 2, 2025. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights for its English translation.