The National Steering Committee for Settlement of Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences plans to build a centre providing medical support for victims of toxic chemicals including dioxin during the period from 2018 to 2020. The centre is part of the steering committee’s working program for 2018-2020 which was approved in Decision 406/QD-BCDKPBMHH signed by the committee’s head – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The working program is designed to accelerate the settlement of consequences caused by post-war UXOs and toxic chemicals to basically fulfill the goals set by the national plan of actions in the field for 2010-2025. The specific targets set by the program include remove UXO in 50,000 hectares of land each year in order to reduce the rate of UXO contamination to under 15% of the country’s total area, and detoxify 35% of soil volume contaminated by dioxin in the Bien Hoa airport (southern Dong Nai province). Another goal is mobilize international support in various forms from financing, human resources, equipment and technology for the country’s efforts to settle consequences of post-war UXO and toxic chemicals. The committee will direct the implementation of several pilot projects on detoxifying dioxin and other toxic chemicals in order to seek a suitable technology for Vietnam. It will build and carry out a project on treating pollution caused by dioxin and toxic chemicals at Bien Hoa airport using non-refundable aid from the US government and legal financial sources of organizations and individuals. The committee will provide support to localities in carrying out projects to help UXO victims re-integrate into the community, while upgrading rehabilitation facilities for UXO victims at hospitals, among other tasks. (VOV Oct 11)
