VietNamNet Bridge – After the war ended in 1975, some 9,000 out of 10,700 communes, equivalent to 80% of the country’s area was thought to have been contaminated with bombs and mines. The percentage has been reduced to 20% thanks to numerous efforts over the past years.
War-era bombs and mines cause lingering effects in Viet Nam.
Bombs and mined have killed over 40,000 and injured 60,000 others, said Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan at a recent event.
According to the Government’s calculation, the country needs US$10 billion to clear around 800,000 tons of unexploded bombs and mines and billions more capital to finance resettlement and social welfare in contaminated areas.
With limited resources and progress, it would take three more decades to remove all contamination, according to Deputy PM Nhan.
To accelerate the progress, Viet Nam hopes to receive more support from international community to bring peace to citizens as soon as possible, he said.
Earlier in April, 2010, PM Nguyen Tan Dung approved the national action program for overcoming legacy of bombs and mines in the 2010-2025 period (program 504 in short) with an aim to mobilize domestic and foreign resources to step up the clearance progress.
Statistics show that most contaminated localities include Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thwa Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai.
Source: VGP