Authorities dismantled a bomb in southern Bạc Liêu province.Việt Nam needs at least 100 years and over US$10 billion to clear all the bombs and mines left from the wars.—VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Liêm

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam needs at least 100 years and over US$10 billion to clear all the bombs and mines left from the wars, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The figure does not include the billions of US dollars needed for resettlement and ensuring social security in contaminated areas.

An estimated 800,000 tonnes of unexploded bombs and mines leftover from wartime are buried over 20 per cent of the country’s territory, said Deputy Chief of the ministry’s Secretariat Lưu Hồng Sơn at a World Day of Bomb and Mine Prevention planning meeting.

The US army used more than 15 million tonnes of bombs and mines in the war in Việt Nam from 1945 to 1975, four times the amount used in World War 2.

Leftover wartime bombs and mines have killed about 42,130 people and injured 62,160 others in the country.

The aftermath of bombs and mines leftover from the wars has affected socioeconomic development and had severe consequences on people’s lives, he said.

Thanks to the efforts of the relevant ministries, agencies, and society as a whole - as well as to the co-operation and assistance of international friends and donors - Việt Nam has achieved much in overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines. Tens of thousands of hectares of land have been decontaminated. Việt Nam has completed the zoning of contaminated areas. But much remains to be done, he said.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, head of the State Steering Committee for the National Mine Action Programme, agreed to establish the Mine Action Partnership Group (MAPG). The MAPG aims to call on donors and international sponsors to implement an effective cleanup programme. — VNS