Vietnam will need around VND14 trillion ($700 million) for bomb and mine clearance by 2025, said Deputy Minister of Lab our, Invalids and Social Affairs Bui Hong Linh. An estimated 800,000 tons of unexploded ordinance is has been left in the country after the war. Speaking at a forum on dealing with the consequences of unexploded bombs and mines held by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Deputy Minister Linh said the funds would be used to implement projects to assist affected areas, reintegrate victims into the community and to raise awareness among the public of both the dangers and removal projects. Meanwhile, funds for bomb and mine clearance activities in Vietnam come mainly from the state budget. Contributions from the private sector and international donors remain limited. The deputy minister said, Vietnam has gained some considerable ground in bomb and mine clearance, but there is still a lot of work ahead. An estimated 800,000 tons of unexploded ordinance is has been left in the country after the war, and more than 100,000 deaths and injuries have been attributed to them. The problem continues to affect around 20% of the country. Annually, the Ministry of Defense and other demining agencies have cleared 100 ha of bomb and mine-affected land. Over the past five years, up to 570,000 ha of land have been cleared. Ambassador Stephan Husy, Director of Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), told DTiNews that dealing with such a large land mass is a considerable challenge, as about 15% of the agricultural land in Vietnam is at risk. He added that solving the problem would take not only much effort, but also skills and funds. He also said that the country could continue its gains in this area with Vietnam's growing visibility on the international stage. On March 27, the State Steering Committee on National Action Program and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, under the International Centre and the GICHD, signed a memorandum aimed at dealing with consequences of unexploded ordnance. By 2015, the two centers will provide consultation to help Vietnam continue the effective implementation of an action program for compensation for the damages done by unexploded ordinance and training of domestic workforce in this field. (www.dtinews.vn [1] Mar 28)
