
Binh Dinh (VNA) – A ceremony was held in Quy Nhoncity, the central province of Binh Dinh, on March 31 in response to the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (April 4).
The programme, part of the joint mine actionproject of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (KV-MAP), was organised by theVietnam National Mine Action Centre, the Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Ho Chi MinhCommunist Youth Union of Binh Dinh province.
At this event, hundreds of local students andsoldiers marched through big streets of Quy Nhon city to convey a messagecalling for joint efforts in addressing consequences of post-war unexplodedordnances (UXO).
On this occasion, a painting contest themed “Fora safe community free of UXO accidents” took place, attracting 100 studentsaged between 8 and 15 from schools across Binh Dinh province.
The UNDP’s Assistance Country Director CatherinePhuong said the programme aimed to raise public awareness of UXO that is stillthreatening the lives of people in Binh Dinh although the war had ended decadesago, thereby helping to reduce UXO accidents.
Vietnam is one of the most UXO-contaminatedcountries in the world. A report on the post-war UXO contamination in thecountry shows that all the 63 provinces and cities are polluted with UXO.
To help settle bomb and mine consequences, theVietnamese and Korean governments built the KV-MAP, which searches for andclears UXO, collects and manages relevant information, supports UXO victims,and educates people about UXO accident prevention in Quang Binh and Binh Dinhprovinces.-VNA