Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a UK humanitarian non-governmental organisation, ran a programme on April 4 to educate children in central Quang Nam province about the impacts of bombs, mines and explosives to reduce accidents caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO) left from wars.

In response to International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (April 4), more than 500 students from Nguyen Hien Secondary School, Binh Dao commune of Thang Binh district were taught what to avoid and shown photos of bombs and mines.

Students also learnt how to behave towards and help people with disabilities.

Though the war ended more than 37 years ago, its consequences are still felt across the country.

About 600,000 tonnes of unexploded bombs and mines remain over an area of 66,000 square metres, or 20 percent of the country’s total territory.

Quang Nam province is one of the areas heavily contaminated with UXO and its UXO victims numbered 15,000, including 6,500 fatalities.

According to statistics, over 100,000 people have been killed or injured by unexploded bombs and mines since 1975.

Trillions of dong has been spent on mine clearance, treatment of victims, and dealing with direct and indirect results of UXO, but there is a lot of work still to do.

Since April, 2012, MAG has carried out activities to disarm bombs and mines, and has to date discovered 776 bomb and mine contaminated areas in Quang Nam province.

Recently, a 98,700 USD education project to prevent accidents caused by bombs, mines and explosives got underway in the central province. It is co-organised by the provincial Department of Education and Training and the Danish Demining Group.-VNA