USAID to Continue Support for Vietnam AO Victims: Donald Steinberg

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will continue supporting Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO) victims, state media quoted the agency’s Deputy Administrator, Donald Steinberg as saying at the meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on May 7. The USAID has cooperated with Vietnamese agencies to solve issues relating to Agent Orange/dioxin residue which has caused serious consequences including disability or any defect linked to AO among around 4.8 million Vietnamese people. The residue lasts from the Vietnam War lasting from 1954 to 1975 with the participation of American army. From 1961 to 1971, the U.S. army sprayed about 80 million liters of defoliants including the highly toxic Agent Orange over 10% of total areas in southern Vietnam. The action has left serious consequences on people, environment and social issues in the country. The U.S., through USAID and many organizations has joined hands with Vietnam to solve AO contamination, funding dozens of millions dollar to Vietnamese AO victims for years. Total U.S. government funding for environmental remediation in Danang, one of localities suffering most from the residue, has amounted to more than $35 million since 2007. In addition, the U.S. has contributed $48 million since 1989 to help Vietnamese with disabilities, regardless of cause, the U.S. embassy said. However, the U.S. slowly responded to the issue due to Vietnam’s political attitude, Hanoi-based analysts said. (Vietnamplus May 7)