Society

More efforts needed to clear bombs

Vietnam has put a lot of efforts into removing explosives remnants of war (ERW), but the issue is still a great challenge for the country, a high-ranking army officer has said.
More efforts needed to clear bombs ảnh 1The meeting in Hanoi on September 16 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam has put a lot of efforts into removingexplosives remnants of war (ERW), but the issue is still a great challenge forthe country, a high-ranking army officer has said.

ColonelNguyen Hanh Phuc, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre(VNMAC), made the statement at a meeting in Hanoi on September 16.

Thenational consultative meeting 'Enhance awareness programmes on the dangers ofmine/explosive remnants of war' was organised by the VNMAC, the ASEANRegional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) and the Japan-ASEAN Cooperation.

Phuc saidthat during the past 40 years, the country has seen improving consequences ofmine and explosive remnants of war as an urgent, important, regular andlong-term duty.

To createa legal corridor for the work, the then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2010approved the national action programme to tackle the impact of post-war bombsand mines in 2010-2025, often called Programme 504. 

Programme504 helps guide and manage post-war mines and ERW, creating coordinationbetween State management agencies and localities in the work.

Animportant policy was strengthening support to help victims of mines and ERWintegrate into the community, he said.

Phuc saidmore education on preventing mine and ERW accidents should be given tocitizens.

HalJudge, ARMAC’s mine risk education expert, said Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnamand Thailand were affected by mines and ERW, and ARMAC, through a set ofconsultative meetings, aimed to bring these countries together to share theirknowledge and experiences to build a regional approach to mine risk education.

The goalof the project would be to establish a platform for ASEAN countriesto learn from one another so a collaborative community of mine riskeducation experts could be established.

Incomplete statisticsshow the number of bombs left after the war in Vietnam is about 800,000tonnes, with the total area suspected of bomb and mine pollution about 6.13million hectares, accounting for 18.71 per cent of the country, according tothe VNMAC. The largest amount is said to be in central provinces.

From 1975until now, bombs and mines have killed more than 40,000 people and injured60,000.

TheUnited Nations Sustainable Development Programme to 2030 considers tacklinglandmines and war consequences to be a major goal.

In recentyears, the Ministry of National Defence has sped up the process ofovercoming the consequences of mines and ERW in polluted areas, especially QuangTri, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh and Ha Giang.

Despitethe positive results, the country needs tens of billions of dollars, notincluding billions of dollars for resettlement in the contaminated areas, andmore than 100 years to finish the work, according to the ministry./.
VNA
#explosives remnants of war #Vietnam National Mine Action Centre #ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre #post-war bombs and mines #Programme 504 #unexploded ordnance #updated Vietnam news #Vietnamplus #Vietnam News Agency
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

See more

Mineral resource discovery activities in the northwest region. (Photo: vietnamplus.vn)

40 gold mines discovered in northwest region

There are 40 gold mines with a total identified resource of 29.8 tonnes, and five copper mines with a total identified resource of over 13,000 tonnes in the northwest region.

Three staff members of the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention set off to join rescue efforts in Myanmar. (Photo: tienphong.vn)

Vietnam sends more personnel to rescue operations in Myanmar

This marks the first time that the staff members from the department have participated in the ASEAN-ERAT, demonstrating the spirit of “One ASEAN, One Response: ASEAN responding to disasters as one in the region” as affirmed in the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc at the working session with representatives from 21 US higher education institutions in Hanoi on March 31. (Photo: Ministry of Education and Training)

Vietnam, US strengthen higher education cooperation

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc highlighted the growing educational partnership between the two nations, with 30,000 out of 200,000 Vietnamese citizens studying abroad being in the US. In the 2022-2023 academic year, Vietnamese students ranked fifth globally in terms of numbers of international students in the US, rising by 5.7%.

The Vietnamese rescue forces have worked tirelessly to locate survivors. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam delivers 3 tonnes of aid supplies to Myanmar earthquake victims

The aid package includes antibiotics, digestive medications, cold and flu remedies, and basic healthcare equipment like blood pressure monitors, blood glucose metres, bandages, and disinfectants. The supplies also feature mosquito spray pumps and insecticides to prevent disease outbreaks in affected areas.

Tran Phu Loc Thanh, Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Can Tho plans to eliminate run-down houses before reunification anniversary

According to Tran Phu Loc Thanh, Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment, work has started on all 531 houses designated for renovation or reconstruction, benefiting poor households, near-poor families, and people with meritorious service to the nation, with 141 homes already completed and handed over to beneficiaries.

The day for honouring the Vietnamese language in overseas Vietnamese communities is launched on March 29. (Photo: VNA)

Preserving Vietnamese language: Inspiring future generations worldwide

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, who is Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, highlighted that with over 6 million Vietnamese people living across 130 countries and territories, the Vietnamese language remains a vital bridge connecting them to the homeland and cultural heritage.

Vu Manh Hung, Chairman of Hung Nhon Group, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony on March 29. (Photo: VNA)

Tay Ninh accelerates efforts to eliminate substandard houses for border communities

As part of this programme, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of 22 new homes for impoverished families in Tay Ninh’s border region took place on March 29. It is spearheaded by the Fund for the Poor of Tan Chau district, in collaboration with Hung Nhon Group, De Heus Group of Netherlands, and Tay Ninh’s National Assembly delegation.

A gathering of the Vietnamese community in the Republic of Korea. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese Association in RoK urged to strengthen unity

Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Vu Ho suggested the General Association of Vietnamese People enhance cooperation with organisations and businesses, promote dissemination of the Vietnam Village project in the RoK, and continue hosting annual Vietnamese language classes for children from multicultural families.

The Zalo page of the Ministry of Public Security (Photo: screenshot)

Ministry of Public Security launches Zalo page

Together with the ministry’s website and its Facebook page, the Zalo page is an official information channel of the public security force on the cyber environment, with the function of informing and popularising the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, and the MPS's regulations on ensuring security, order, and building the people's public security force.

Children are excited about the new Vietnamese bookcase in Osaka. (Photo: VNA)

Painting contest launched for Vietnamese children in Japan

Consul General of Vietnam in Osaka Ngo Trinh Ha emphasised that the 100,000-strong Vietnamese community in the Kansai region is continuously striving to maintain and promote the Vietnamese language through cultural activities that enhance awareness of national identity among the youth.