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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh |
In a recent interview given to PANO’s reporter, Chairman Rinh spoke highly of numerous active and effective social activities launched by associations for AO victims at all levels nationwide to raise more funds to take care of and give assistance to AO victims and to fight for justice for them.
He also highlighted the due care from the Party, National Assembly, Government, ministries, and departments to promulgate many legal documents related to overcoming the aftermath of toxic chemicals and make policies for national contributors and those exposed to AO/Dioxin. So far, more than 320,000 people exposed to AO/Dioxin during the war and their children have received monthly allowance.
The VAVA Chairman also talked about great support from the Ministry of National Defense, and significant activities implemented by defense agencies and military units for AO victims in particular and associations for AO victims in general. Rinh gave several examples, such as studies on toxic chemicals used in the Vietnam War, detoxification programs for AO victims, more information dissemination on AO disaster, war consequence relief, and policies for AO victims.
Rinh said that through information dissemination activities, people from all walks of life, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends are now aware of the AO disaster in Vietnam caused by the US and the fight for justice for AO victims has been promoted. Attentively, from 2015 to June 2020, more than VND 1,555 billion in both goods and cash has been raised by all-level associations for AO victims to build nursing, rehabilitation, vocational training centers, and gratitude houses. The funds have also provided financial assistance, wheelchairs, and other gifts to AO victims.
According to VAVA Chairman Rinh, the association is conducting 25 AO victims-supporting projects in the country with contributions from international friends. Its ongoing program “Action for Vietnamese victims of AO/Dioxin” has been highly applauded domestically and internationally.
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At a ceremony to hand over a house to AO victims in Bac Lieu province |
In the time to come, VAVA’s affiliates nationwide with nearly 400,000 members will conduct more activities to further the care for and assistance to AO victims.
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45 years has passed since the end of the Vietnam war but the consequences of the US spraying toxic substance over the Southern theater for 10 years, from 1961 to 1971, remain catastrophic, affecting both the environment and the health of local people. Some 4.8 million Vietnamese people are exposed to AO/Dioxin. Notably, many victims are the second, third, or fourth generation to be affected by the poison. |
Translated by Mai Huong