PM Approves Czech-funded Project for Vietnam AO Victims

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a non-refundable project for the country’s Agent Orange victims granted by the government of Czech Republic. The Ministry of Planning and Investment was asked to work with the Czech government for the PM’s decision. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will assume responsibility for appraisal and conducting the project to make it strictly follows procedures for official development assistance. Vietnam has an estimated number of 4.8 million people suffering from AO. The actual number is said to much higher and consequences will last for three generations. Contamination from dioxin, a chemical used in Agent Orange which American army spread over 10% of southern Vietnam’s total forest areas from 1961 to 1971 during the Vietnam War, has been an issue Vietnam and the U.S. join hands to solve. U.S. has funded dozens of millions dollar to Vietnamese AO victims though Washington government has slowly responded to the issue. However, the late response is mostly attributed to Hanoi government’s political attitude. (Chinhphu.vn Oct 31)