The Vietnam News Agency has sent 20.5 million VND in aid to 25 Agent Orange/dioxin victims nationwide and built a house valued at 15 million VND for a victim’s family in southern Tien Giang province.

The money, almost 2,000 USD, was provided by the VNA’s Relief Fund for AO Victims to honour Vietnamese AO Victims Day, on August 10.

The charity for AO victims has brought the nation closer together.

In the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh , 346.27 million VND was raised over the past three years to benefit 1,300 victims by providing them with investment, medical treatment and building or upgrading houses.

Currently the province is building four charity houses for local victims.

In Hoa Binh, almost 4,700 people are thought to have been exposed to the toxic chemical while only 1,781 receive State allowances.

The midland province of Phu Tho has provided loans of over 200 million VND to almost 90 victim families under a project set up in 2003 to help them boost household economies.

In Danang city, the Transport Project Construction Corporation No. 5 and the local police sent a joint delegation to visit and present gifts valued at 300,000 VND each to over 100 victims in Hoa Vang district.

The transport corporation also offered to provide monthly allowances for 30 victims in Hoa Vang district. Commitments to regular allowances and saving accounts for 22 other victims in the district were also made by other donors.

Hoa Vang is home to over 2,300 disabled people, including 957 with AO symptoms.

In the southern province of Tien Giang , the provincial Association for AO/dioxin Victims presented gifts to 200 victims and 30 wheelchairs for AO sufferers with disabilities.

The donations came to 73.5 million VND, from various sources, including the VNA. The news agency also built a house worth 15 million VND for Nguyen Ke Giang in Cai Be district./.