Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri has received $80 million from international organizations for bombs and mines clearance for the past 25 years, of which $40 million was funded by the U.S. government via non-governmental organizations, local media reported. Notably, U.S.-based PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTVN) has mounted search for bombs and mines on 480 hectares of land and destroyed over 112,000 unexploded explosives during the period. Meanwhile, Norwegian People’s Aid- Project RENEW (NPA/RENEW), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the UK’s Department for International Development, has been conducting clearance on 1,500 square kilometers in Thai Lai village, Vinh Thai commune, Vinh Linh district since mid-June. As many as 23 bomb clusters and hundreds of explosives have been destroyed, which brought safety to 870 locals. Furthermore, the U.S.’s Golden West Humanitarian Foundation (GWHF) granted $95,000 to the province to run a project on training for enhancement of bombs and mines clearance abilities. Quang Tri is among the localities that suffered the most in the aftermath of the war, with 82% of the province’s total area getting contaminated with unexploded ordnance, which claimed lives of 3,430 residents and injured 5,100 others. The province aims to be the first locality of Vietnam to be clear off bombs and mines by 2025, with an estimated capital of between $10 million and $12 million per year. (Tin Tuc, Tin Tuc, Vietnam Plus, tinhuyquangtri)
