December 25, 2019 | 21:36 (GMT+7)
Association promotes livelihood support for UXO victims
PANO – A lot of efforts were put into creating sustainable livelihoods for Vietnamese victims of bombs and mines, as released at a conference held by the Vietnam Association for Supporting UXO/Mine Action Efforts (VNASMA) reviewing its five-year operation (2014-2019) on December 24 in Hanoi.
It is estimated that about 800,000 tons of unexploded ordinance (UXO) have been left by the wars across the country, which poses a big risk to Vietnamese people’s lives.
According to preliminary statistics of the VNASMA, UXO incidents have killed more than 42,000 people and injured over 62,000 others nationwide since 1975.
Reportedly, over the past five year, the association has actively coordinated with charitable and humanitarian organizations to launch charity programs in 19 localities across the country. Nearly 5,500 people, including 240 families of UXO victims, were presented with breeding cattle while around other 5,000 people received livelihood supports and gratitude houses.
The VNASMA has planned to carry out models on education, vocational training, employment and resettlement support, and community integration in areas severely contaminated with UXO in 2020 and the following years.
Translated by Chung Anh