The Hanoi Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin will present 16,000 gifts worth VND48 billion ($2.46 million) to the city’s AO victims on the upcoming Lunar New Year or Tet holiday. Each AO victim will receive a gift worth VND300,000, the state-run Vietnam News Agency said. Currently, Hanoi has about 35,000 AO people including 250 households having at least three victims who are in miserable conditions. So far, just a half of the victims have received supports from the state’s agencies. Early this month, the city set up Hanoi Fund for Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin Victims (HFAV) on expectations to help them lead better lives. The AO victims in Vietnam are estimated to hit 4.8 million as consequences of 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 Vietnam War which is said a protracted military conflict between the Communist forces of North Vietnam supported by China and the Soviet Union and the non-Communist forces of South Vietnam supported by the United States. However, the war, in definition by the Communist Vietnam and many deluded people, is a resistance war against the Vietnamese puppet forces and the U.S. military troops. (Vietnamplus Jan 20)
