The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) held a meeting on August 10 in Hanoi to mark 55th anniversary of Agent Orange/Dioxin catastrophe in Vietnam.
President of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) Nguyen Van Rinh recalled the catastrophe 55 years ago when the US army began spraying the herbicide dioxin in Vietnamese fields and villages resulting in horrifying effects of the chemical until today.
Choosing the day as Vietnamese Agent Orange Victims Day the Vietnamese Government wants to remind people of catastrophe of environment and human health in Vietnam War as well as call for social contribution to help AO victims to overcome their difficulties and integrate into the society.
Speaking at the meeting, President Tran Dai Quang shared AO victims’ pain as well as expressed his sympathy with the harsh condition that millions of Vietnamese AO victims suffered.
The President affirmed the Party and the Government always pay attention to AO victims, verifying it is an urgent and long-term matter to remedy pain caused by dioxin and soothe their sufferings. For years, the Party and the Government have issued policies to take care of AO victims and launched projects to treat environment in places that were facing most chemical bombardment during the wartime.
On the occasion, the Presidents highly appreciated related agencies, organizations, unions, enterprises and benefactors in and out the country especially VAVA that have joined hand to relieve AO victims’ painfulness.
Along with the Party and the Government’s policies to support AO victims, President Quang also asked VAVA to increase information of AO, horrifying effects and AO victims’ pain so that people in and out the country could clearly understand the catastrophe of the chemical in the country.
VAVA should spread information of AO to encourage people actively partake in campaign to support AO victims and their struggle for justice, he said.
Additionally, President Quang called for the US to have more pledge to help remedy the chemical consequence and liaise with Vietnam authorities to carry out projects for detoxification and cleaning environment in “hot spots” as well as cooperation in science upon dioxin. Moreover, the US should support Vietnamese AO victims in both Vietnam and the US.
On behalf of the Party and the Government, President Quang presented the First Labor Medal to VAVA.
