Norway to Fund VND225B for Vietnam Quang Tri’s Mine Clearance by 2020

The Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) will provide VND225 billion ($9.91 million) for Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri to settle post-war bomb and landmine impacts in the locality in the 2018-2022 period, state media reported. The funding comes under an agreement signed on April 18 between the NPA and the provincial People’s Committee to carry out the project “Restoring the Environment and Neutralizing the Effects of the War” (RENEW). The project will focus on conducting technical and non-technical surveys to support efforts to clean up land that has been contaminated by unexploded ordnance as well as enhancing management capacity of the project. Currently, over 80% of land in Quang Tri is contaminated with bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance. Since 1975, around 3,400 people in the province have been killed by bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance, 31% of which are children. (Nhan Dan – The People Apr 19 P3; Giao Thong – Transport Apr 19 P2; Vietnam Plus, Tai Nguyen Moi Truong –Environment Resource, Bao Quang Tri – Quang Tri Newspaper Apr 18)