To promote domestic and regional cooperation in supporting landmine victims and people with disabilities, a national consultation workshop, titled "The Need for Physical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Support for Landmine Victims and People with Disabilities" was held in Hanoi on April 4. The workshop was co-organized by the Vietnam Association for Supporting Unexploded Ordnance/Mine Action (VNASMA), the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC), and the Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC).
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Lt. Gen. Pham Ngoc Khoa (right) and delegates at the event. |
At the workshop, VNASMA Permanent Vice Chairman Lieutenant General Pham Ngoc Khoa highlighted the support from state agencies, businesses, social organizations, international partners, religious organizations, charity groups, and people to assist landmine victims.
Over the past 10 years, VNASMA has coordinated to organize and participated in many activities such as giving financial aid, medical support, rehabilitation to landmine victims; providing vocational training; creating jobs; and helping people in areas affected by landmines resettle; mobilizing domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to support the association’s projects. From the resources mobilized, VNASMA has organized several livelihood support programs and dissemination campaigns in various provinces and cities, benefiting a total of 6,000 people.
Talking about the effort to support landmine victims and people with disabilities, Rothna Buth, Executive Director of ARMAC, said that every life lost due to landmines causes immense pain for the family, community, and country. As part of the "Strengthening Support for Landmine Victims in ASEAN Member States" program, the proposals from this workshop will serve as orientation for both domestic and international entities to better support landmine victims and people with disabilities, helping them reintegrate into society and continue making valuable contributions to the country.
VNMAC survey revealed that since 1975, UXO left over from the war has claimed 42,000 lives and injured 62,000 people, with most victims being breadwinners, ethnic minorities, and children. VNMAC’s Deputy General Director Nguyen Van Cuong said that the consequences of landmines continue to severely impact people's lives, particularly people with disabilities in Vietnam, who face difficulties in accessing comprehensive rehabilitation services for both physical and mental health. He emphasized that these challenges require close cooperation between government agencies, social organizations, healthcare experts, as well as the support of the international community.
Nguyen Hong Oanh, Director of the Center for Research and Action for Inclusive Development, shared that in recent years, the mental health situation of landmine victims and people with disabilities has attracted the concern of agencies, organizations, and the community. Through many programs and projects, landmine victims and people with disabilities have received appropriate counseling and assistance from various sources. Thanks to that, many individuals have overcome their feelings of inferiority, risen above their challenges, and successfully reintegrated into society.
Improving mental health care services and enhancing the quality of rehabilitation support for landmine victims and people with disabilities are in Vietnam and the international community’s ongoing efforts to establish a comprehensive and sustainable support system for those affected by landmines and with disabilities.
Translated by Tran Hoai