Various activities have been held recently nationwide to support Agent Orange (AO) victims on the occasion of the 10 th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) (January 10).

In the northern province of Phu Tho, nearly 2,000 gifts were presented to AO victims across the province by its Association of Victims of AO.

Established in 2006, the provincial association has so far provided help to local AO victims in various forms such as wheelchairs, gifts and assistance for housing and production development.

At a ceremony to mark the VAVA’s 10 th founding anniversary in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thi Hong Anh, stressed the need for local authorities and the city’s association of AO victims to intensify vocational training and appropriate job placement for the victims, as well as establish a group of volunteers to care for those who cannot look after themselves.

Meanwhile, the association of AO victims of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has also organised activities to help AO victims overcome difficulties and integrate into the community.

Over eight years of operation, the association presented 404 wheelchairs to and helped build 275 houses for the victims apart from gifts. It received over 1.05 million USD from domestic and foreign donors.

According to VAVA, US forces sprayed 80 million litres of Agent Orange totalling almost 400 kg of dioxin on Vietnam’s southern battlefields during a 10-year period beginning on August 10, 1961.

Preliminary statistics by Vietnamese scientists indicated about 3 million Vietnamese people were exposed to dioxin. The toxic chemical still has severe impacts on Vietnam’s filial generations today.-VNA