Viet Nam Human Rights
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 leftover from the war still substantially influence the safety and health of Vietnamese people, the environment, and national socio-economic development.
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 realisation of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as environmental protection and the improvement of people’s health, he noted.
Participants in the conference on the settlement of Agent Orange/dioxin consequences in Vietnam on December 14th (Photo: VNA)
Col. Than Thanh Cong, chief of the national steering committee office for addressing post-war unexploded ordnances and toxic chemicals in Vietnam, said that between 1961 and 1971, about 80 million litres 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 organisations 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./.
All comments [ 20 ]
Many years later, dioxin concentration in those areas dropped to a normal level, but its consequences have remained a threat to local people.
Since 1980, the Vietnamese Government has paid great attention to researching and dealing with the consequences of AO/Dioxin.
The government currently provides monthly welfare support for over 200,000 Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) victims, and encourages non-governmental organisations to help AO victims.
Efforts to deal with consequences of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin should focus on environmental improvement and long-term support for AO victims along with dioxin remediation activities
Vietnamese AO victims need support to have better lives.
Tens of thousands of people died from exposure, while millions of others went on to suffer from cancer and other incurable diseases. Children and grand children of many victims have been affected with widespread birth deformities.
AO issue has received much attention of the mass media and the domestic and international public over the past 40 years, due to the severe consequences on humans as well as the environment.
the international science community to continue researching the toxic chemicals sprayed by the US army in Viet Nam in order to find out their effect on human health, genes, and the environment. They also asked scientists to help find effective solutions to the problem.
it was necessary to put pressure on the US government to admit responsibility for the disaster, as well as to accept responsibility for its consequences.
This was a great tragedy as millions of Vietnamese people were directly affected by the toxin.
The Vietnamese government is currently providing monthly welfare support to over 200,000 Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) victims, according to the national steering committee on overcoming consequences of toxic chemicals/dioxin
the AO issue has received much attention of the mass media and the domestic and international public over the past 40 years, due to the severe consequences on humans as well as the environment.
A State-level research project has also been launched to clarify the harmful effects of dioxin and seek solutions to its consequences.
It is important to provide full and timely information on the contamination situation, ways of contamination as well as efforts of solving the issue.
Such information will raise people’s awareness on the issue, thus, equipping themselves with concrete measures to prevent the dioxin contamination.
The information also helps the government of Vietnam and its development partners to join hands to minimise after-effects of AO/dioxin
From 1961-1971, US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of herbicides - 44 million litres of which were AO that contained nearly 370kg of dioxin - over southern Vietnam.
around 3.5–4 million Vietnamese people were exposed to AO/dioxin. Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases due to the effects of AO.
Vietnam needs around US$410 million to deal with the consequences of the toxic dioxin in the 2012–2017 period.
Vietnam needs more help from international community to solve this issue.
Your comments