Overcoming the consequences of post war UXO and toxic chemicals - An urgent and humane task

At the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the National Steering Committee for Overcoming the consequences of UXO and toxic chemicals after the war in Vietnam emphasized that: Overcoming the consequences of UXO and Agent Orange after war needs to be considered an urgent and humane task, which contributes to protecting people\'s lives, health and safety first and foremost.

According to the National Steering Committee for overcoming the consequences of UXO and toxic chemicals after the war in Vietnam, before promulgating the National Action Program to overcome the consequences of UXO after the war in Vietnam (hereinafter referred to as Program 504), the area of mine pollution in Vietnam is 6.1 million hectares of land, accounting for 18.82% of the country\'s land area. In the period of 2010 - 2020, the country has carried out surveying and clearing UXO in 485,000 hectares of land (nearly 50,000 hectares/year on average, an increase of 35% compared to the previous period) with a budget of 12,614 billion VND; in which, the domestic budget is 10,417 billion VND, the remaining 2,197 billion VND (equal to 95.5 million USD) is direct foreign aid. Thus, up to now, the area contaminated with UXO has decreased to 5.6 million hectares of land, equivalent to 17.71% of the area. Hundreds of thousands of UXO have been destroyed. More than 5,000 UXO victims and other affected people have received medical assistance, vocational training, job creation, livestock and crops support for economic development with total amount of more than 50 billion VND. Hundreds of thousands of people, especially children and people in heavily contaminated areas, have access to accident prevention methods…

UXO and toxic chemicals used by the US during the war have left heavy consequences on people and the environment. Although the war has passed nearly half a century, hundreds of thousands of tons of bombs and toxic chemicals are still left everywhere, which is a daily threat to the people and a burning problem of the country. According to incomplete statistics, since 1975, more than 40,000 people have been killed and 60,000 have been injured due to UXO left over after war. On average, each year, post war UXO claims the lives of more than 1,000 people and injures more than 1,300 others. The consequences of toxic chemicals caused by the US are also extremely severe, causing nearly 5 million people exposed, and more than 3 million people being victims of Agent Orange. The pain of Agent Orange is still persistent and tormenting many generations in families with victims of Agent Orange.

For example, Quang Tri - a province that suffered the most from UXO/dioxin after war with over 82% of the total natural land area contaminated with UXO, the highest rate in the country. Since the end of the war, over 1.2% of the province\'s population has become UXO victims, in which 31% are children; over 6% of the province’s population is disabled, of which more than 9,000 people are Agent Orange victims.

In the 1975-1995 period, an average of about 100 people became victims of UXO each year, but in the period of 2005-2015 this number decreased to 10. However, at present, the land area contaminated with UXO in Vietnam is still about 5 million hectares (accounting for more than 17% of the country\'s land area), while resources for the Program are still limited. In the coming time, in order to speed up UXO relief, making Vietnam a country free of UXO after the war, and no more innocent people being injured by post war UXO, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed that: It is necessary to determine that the work of overcoming the consequences of UXO and toxic chemicals after war is an urgent task that shows a profound and noble humanity, contributing to the good implementation of the goal of protecting people\'s life, health and safety first and foremost.

Party committees and authorities at all levels should pay attention to leadership, direction, personnel and financial resources for this work; continue to review and perfect the system of regimes, policies, and legal corridors for overcoming the consequences of UXO and toxic chemicals after war, ensuring consistency and comprehensiveness, first of all, submitting an ordinance on this issue to the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration. Improve the comprehensive capacity of the Vietnam National Mine Action Center and the system of agencies to deal with the consequences of UXO in the localities. Continue to promote the role of organizations and individuals in the implementation of post-war UXO remedial work. Strengthen international cooperation, mobilizing domestic and foreign resources to serve the post-war UXO and toxic chemical remedial work.