Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – More than 5,000 people joined the “For Agent Orange/dioxin Victims” charity walk on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in Ho Chi Minh City on August 2.
Participants included former Party and State leaders, city officials, representatives of foreign consulates in the city, domestic and international organisations, armed forces personnel, youth union members, students, artists, businesses, donors and local residents.
The event, marking the 65th anniversary of the Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) disaster in Vietnam (August 10, 1961–2026), was organised by the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) in partnership with Vietnam Media Development JSC and other organisations to promote compassion and mobilise greater community support for AO victims.
Speaking at the event, Major General, Associate Professor, Dr Nguyen Hong Son, Chairman of the VAVA chapter in Ho Chi Minh City, said the programme is not only a commemorative event but also an opportunity to call on agencies at all levels, businesses, organisations and individuals to continue supporting AO victims in overcoming hardship and building their better lives.
It also honours those who have contributed to caring for AO victims while promoting solidarity, social responsibility and compassion, he said.
Reflecting on Vietnam’s long campaign for justice, Son noted that the lawsuit of Tran To Nga, an AO victim, has gained strong international backing.
Memorials dedicated to Vietnamese AO victims have been erected by the Belgian Parliament and Paris authorities, while organisations and individuals in the US, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China and overseas Vietnamese have consistently supported AO victims, he noted.
He acknowledged US assistance in dioxin remediation and disability support programmes in contaminated areas, expressing his hope that the US will further expand healthcare and assistance for AO victims.
Guided by the spirit of “putting the past behind and looking to the future”, Vietnam calls on the conscience and compassion of the international community to help ease this enduring pain, he said.
Over the past two decades, the association has implemented a wide range of support programmes, including building and repairing charity houses, providing healthcare and rehabilitation services, while increasingly focusing on empowering victims as "inspirational role models" through education, vocational training and employment opportunities to help them integrate into society.
The association plans to step up awareness campaigns, particularly among young people in Vietnam, the US and overseas Vietnamese communities, while accelerating the launch of the “Orange Village” project, which will provide healthcare, vocational education and production facilities for victims.
Participants said the walk expressed solidarity with AO victims and their families while encouraging greater public responsibility in supporting those affected.
Nguyen Minh Tan, a student at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, said the event has helped young people better understand the long-term consequences of AO and inspired them to spread compassion within the community.
According to the association, around 80 million litres of herbicides were sprayed over southern Vietnam between 1961 and 1971, with more than 61% consisting of Agent Orange containing dioxin. An estimated 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed, leaving millions with birth defects, illnesses and severe long-term health impacts, many of which have affected third and fourth generations.
On the occasion, the association and its partners presented gifts to AO victims and their families, while recognising organisations, businesses and individuals for their contributions to supporting those affected./.
