Int’l conference talks solutions to AO/dioxin consequences
An international conference was held in Hanoi on December 14 to discuss the settlement of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin consequences which still linger in people’s bodies and the environment across Vietnam.
Participants in the conference on the settlement of Agent Orange/dioxin consequences in Vietnam on December 14 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – An international conference washeld in Hanoi on December 14 to discuss the settlement of Agent Orange(AO)/dioxin consequences which still linger in people’s bodies and theenvironment across Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. NguyenChi Vinh said that although the war ended over 40 years ago, the consequencesof toxic chemicals, and unexploded bombs and mines leftover from the war still substantiallyinfluence the safety and health of Vietnamese people, the environment, and nationalsocio-economic development.
It is not only dioxin, but also other toxicchemicals used by different countries in the past that have left seriousconsequences, posing challenges to the realisation of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, as well as environmental protection and the improvement ofpeople’s health, he noted.
Col. Than Thanh Cong, chief of the nationalsteering committee office for addressing post-war unexploded ordnances and toxicchemicals in Vietnam, said that between 1961 and 1971, about 80 million litresof herbicide were sprayed onto 2.63 million ha of land in southern Vietnam. Roughly61 percent of the total herbicide was AO, containing 366kg of dioxin. More than2 million ha of forest land was affected to varying degrees.
Aside from these areas, the military bases theUS army used to store, mix, and deliver the herbicide and clean its aircraftbefore and after spraying were also seriously contaminated with AO/dioxin.
Cong said that over the years, the VietnameseGovernment has worked alongside domestic and foreign organisations to address theconsequences of AO/dioxin contamination. Notably, about 150,000 cu.m of dioxin-contaminatedsoil in three hotspots – namely Da Nang airport in Da Nang city, Bien Hoaairport in Dong Nai province, and Phu Cat airport in Binh Dinh province – hasbeen safely isolated.
Regarding human contamination, authorities havecarried 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, includingforeign experts, focused on AO/dioxin’s impact on the environment and humanhealth, as well as ways to address the problem. –VNA
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Participants in the conference on the settlement of Agent Orange/dioxin consequences in Vietnam on December 14 (Photo: VNA) 
