Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh said that although the war ended over 40 years ago, the consequences of toxic chemicals, and unexploded bombs and mines left over from the war still substantially influence the safety and health of Vietnamese people, the environment, and national socio-economic development.

Participants in the conference on the settlement of Agent Orange/dioxin consequences in Vietnam on December 14.

It is not only dioxin, but also other toxic chemicals used by different countries in the past that have left serious consequences, posing challenges to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as environmental protection and the improvement of people’s health, he noted.

Col. Than Thanh Cong, chief of the national steering committee office for addressing post-war unexploded ordnance and toxic chemicals in Vietnam, said that between 1961 and 1971, about 80 million liters of herbicide were sprayed onto 2.63 million ha of land in southern Vietnam. Roughly 61 percent of the total herbicide was AO, containing 366kg of dioxin. More than 2 million ha of forest land was affected to varying degrees.

Aside from these areas, the military bases the US army used to store, mix, and deliver the herbicide and clean its aircraft before and after spraying were also seriously contaminated with AO/dioxin.

Cong said that over the years, the Vietnamese Government has worked alongside domestic and foreign organizations to address the consequences of AO/dioxin contamination. Notably, about 150,000 cu.m of dioxin-contaminated soil in three hotspots – namely Da Nang airport in Da Nang city, Bien Hoa airport in Dong Nai province, and Phu Cat airport in Binh Dinh province – has been safely isolated.

Regarding human contamination, authorities have carried out many activities to support AO/dioxin victims and their children, such as by providing financial aid and medical examination and treatment, building and repairing houses, and presenting scholarships, the official added.

At the conference, participants, including foreign experts, focused on AO/dioxin’s impact on the environment and human health, as well as ways to address the problem.

VinGroup presents 4,000 gift packages to the poor and AO victims

(BGO) – Responding to the movement of “Tet for the poor and Agent Orange  (AO) Victims”, the Kind-Heart Fund (under VinGroup) mobilized 2 billion VND (over 85,800 USD) to present 4,000 gift packages (each worth 500,000 VND or 21.46 USD) to the needy cases in the upcoming Lunar New Year 2019 via the Red Cross Society (RCS) in the northern province of Bac Giang. 

 

Thousands of drivers commemorate victims of road traffic accident

(BGO) – Under the motto of “Commemorate the gone – For the present”, thousands of drivers in several roads in Bac Giang province at 9 am on November 18 stopped their vehicles and went down the street for a minute to commemorate the victims killed in road traffic accidents. 

 

Bac Giang calls for 29,000 Tet gifts to poor people and AO victims

(BGO) – Implementing the programme to support the needy cases on the Lunar New Year 2019 (Ky Hoi), the Red Cross Society (RCS) in the northern province of Bac Giang has recently launched the donation of “Tet for the poor and Agent Orange/ Dioxin victims (AO victims)”. 

 

Provincial leaders visit and present gifts to victims of road traffic accidents

(BGO) – Nguyen Van Linh, Chairman of the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee (PPC) and Head of provincial Traffic Safety Board (TSB) on November 7 visited and encouraged two families who lost their relatives in traffic accidents in Bac Giang city. 

 

Japanese doctors provide medical examination and gifts to victims of Agent Orange

(BGO) – A delegation of Japanese doctors on October 19 – 20 visited the northern province of Bac Giang to provide medical examination and present gifts to local victims of Agent Orange (AO victims).

 

Source: VNA