The Vietnam - US Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/dioxin convened for itssecond roundtable conference in the southern province of Dong Nai onApril 21 to review recovery efforts in the aftermath of the toxicchemical sprayed by the US troops during the Vietnam war.
Head of the group Ha Huy Thong briefed US guests on Prime MinisterNguyen Tan Dung’s recent plan of action to deal with AO consequencesbetween now and 2020.
He also hailed the US government forworking with Vietnam in the endeavor, citing its four-year Da Nangairport dioxin clean-up project as evidence.
The first stage of the project will conclude this year.
Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’sEnvironment and Social Development Office, Kyung Choe, said USAID isconducting a study on the environmental impacts of AO/dioxin in alocation around Bien Hoa airport.
In coordination with theMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and localitiesnationwide, USAID has offered support to disabled and AO victims,especially children, she noted.
According to arepresentative from the Vietnam Federation on Disability, Vietnamese warveterans suffering from the toxic should have also benefited from theUS social welfare policies as the victims have in the US, Australia andNew Zealand.
From 1962-1971, 20 million gallons ofdefoliants were sprayed over the US airports and military bases acrossthe southern Vietnam, destroying 5 million acres of forests and 500,000acres of vegetables. At least 4.5 million Vietnamese have been exposedto the AO and other herbicides.
The same day, the group made afield trip to the dioxin hotspot at Bien Hoa airport and visited acentre for the disabled children in Bien Hoa city.-VNA
Head of the group Ha Huy Thong briefed US guests on Prime MinisterNguyen Tan Dung’s recent plan of action to deal with AO consequencesbetween now and 2020.
He also hailed the US government forworking with Vietnam in the endeavor, citing its four-year Da Nangairport dioxin clean-up project as evidence.
The first stage of the project will conclude this year.
Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’sEnvironment and Social Development Office, Kyung Choe, said USAID isconducting a study on the environmental impacts of AO/dioxin in alocation around Bien Hoa airport.
In coordination with theMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and localitiesnationwide, USAID has offered support to disabled and AO victims,especially children, she noted.
According to arepresentative from the Vietnam Federation on Disability, Vietnamese warveterans suffering from the toxic should have also benefited from theUS social welfare policies as the victims have in the US, Australia andNew Zealand.
From 1962-1971, 20 million gallons ofdefoliants were sprayed over the US airports and military bases acrossthe southern Vietnam, destroying 5 million acres of forests and 500,000acres of vegetables. At least 4.5 million Vietnamese have been exposedto the AO and other herbicides.
The same day, the group made afield trip to the dioxin hotspot at Bien Hoa airport and visited acentre for the disabled children in Bien Hoa city.-VNA
