QUẢNG BÌNH — A project to remedy the consequences of post-war bombs and mines in 6.13 million ha of land in Việt Nam was launched in the central province of Quảng Bình yesterday.

Quảng Bình is one of the two provinces suffering the most from contamination of bombs, mines and unexploded ordnances in the country. The other province is Bình Định.

The project is set to be carried out in the two provinces by the Việt Nam National Mine Action Centre, the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Việt Nam by December 2020.

In Quảng Bình, the land area contaminated with bombs, mines and unexploded ordnances makes up 28 per cent of the total land area of the province and that in Bình Định Province makes up 40 per cent of the total area of the province. The casualties caused by bombs and mines in the two provinces have reached about 6,000 and nearly 3,000 respectively.

The government of the Republic of Korea will provide US$20 million for the project via the KOICA with commitments to making real changes in the lives of many people in the central region.

Lieutenant General Lê Hiền Vân, deputy head of the Office of the National Steering Committee on Overcoming Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences (Office 701) said the committee as well as the Ministry of National Defence highly appreciated the collaboration between KOICA, UNDP and the Việt Nam National Mine Action Centre over the passing years.

Vân ordered relevant agencies and localities to smoothly co-operate to ensure the efficiency of the project.

In a related movement, the national defence ministry announced a decision on the establishment of the Office 701 in Hà Nội on Thursday.

The office was set up following the Government decision No 701, issued last May, on perfecting the National Steering Committee on Overcoming Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences.

The office was assigned to work with domestic and international organisations and individuals to promote activities remedying the consequences of bombs, mines and toxic chemicals left over after wars.

Deputy Minister of the National Defence Nguyễn Chí Vịnh required the office to co-operate with ministries, agencies and localities to announce the completion of a project on dioxin remediation in Biên Hoà Airport and boosting the enforcement of policies targeting Agent Orange/Dioxin victims.

The office was tasked to call upon more domestic and foreign financial supports in order to enhance its activities to remedy the consequences of bombs, mines and toxic chemicals, Vịnh said.— VNS