Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a plan to implement a national action programme addressing the consequences of bombs and mines left over from war in the 2016-2020 period. It will step up communication campaigns to avoid bomb and mine accidents, ensure public safety, and help bomb and mine victims integrate into society, as well as ensure the implementation of Vietnam’s law, international treaties and agreements the country has signed. Tasks include devising legal documents on the management of activities to address bomb and mine consequences, refining relevant policies, building infrastructure for the national bomb and mine action centre and developing training areas for the disarmament of bombs and mines underwater and on land. Agencies and units under the State steering committee on the national action programme on settling the consequences caused by bombs and mines will appeal for international sponsorship via policy dialogues and conferences. They will also include the settlement of bomb and mine consequences into cooperation programmes with bilateral and multilateral sponsors. The Vietnamese government approved a 2010-2025 national programme on tackling post-war bombs, mines and unexploded ordnances on April 21, 2010. Between 1945 and 1975, more than 15 million tonnes of bombs and mines, four times the amount used in World War II, were dumped on Vietnam. As a result, about 800,000 tonnes of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) are scattered across over 20% of land nationwide, mainly in the central region. More than 100,000 people have become victims of UXOs. (VietnamNet Apr 14)
