Hanoi (VNA) 𒀰– Hit hard by unexploded ordnance (UXO) left from the war, Vietnam has been exerting tireless efforts for decades to detect and clear UXO to ensure safety for people and serve socio-economic development. Assistance for UXO victims has also been stepped up.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) held a press conference in Hanoi on April 4 to provide information about the settlement of war-left UXO in Vietnam, an event in response to the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (April 4).

About 800,000 tonnes of UXO remain unsettled

There are an estimated 800,000 tonnes of UXO left from the war scattering across Vietnam at present. About 6.1 million ha of land is contaminated or suspected to be contaminated with UXO, accounting for 18.31% of the country’s total. Therefore, much time and resources are needed to completely clear the contaminated areas and restore safety for people. Nguyen Hanh Phuc, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC), said that in 2023, authorities will focus on building mechanisms for mobilising domestic and international support while collecting and inputting data about the settlement of UXO consequences into the national information management system. The steering committee for the national action plan on addressing post-war UXO consequences will complete a national strategy for education in UXO accident risks and submit it to the Government for approval. In particular, a proposal for building an ordinance on war-left UXO settlement will be perfected and submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee in July. He noted that so far, the Government has issued six new circulars on UXO clearance. The new regulations, based on the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) of the UN, are more advanced and scientific and contain many new technical factors in UXO clearance and victim support. Vietnam has been serving as an active member of the IMAS Review Board, chaired by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), and showing its efforts in implementing the IMAS, he added.

Many policies devised to assist UXO victims

Among the more than 7.06 million people with disabilities nationwide, tens of thousands are UXO victims or exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin. Phuc said that after the war, Vietnam has paid great attention to the settlement of UXO consequences, including UXO clearance and social support for the victims to reintegrate into the community. Particularly, many significant attainments have been harvested in the delivery of assistance to UXO victims. Pham Thi Hai Ha, Deputy Director of the MoLISA’s Social Assistance Department, noted essential services for UXO victims are highly diverse, including orthopedic and functional restoration services; consulting, psychological and physical therapies; vocational training; and support for them to benefit from social welfare. Regarding health care and functional restoration, the MoLISA has coordinated with the Ministry of Health to amend and supplement regulations on functional restoration and community-based functional restoration in the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment. They have also been working to expand the scope and coverage of health insurance benefits for the disabled in the Law on Health Insurance. The system of hospitals, centres, specialised establishments, and departments of functional restoration has continued to develop from the central to local levels. There are now 63 hospitals and centres of functional restoration nationwide. Besides, 100% of general hospitals at central and provincial levels have also had functional restoration departments and provided functional restoration services.