Efforts to alleviate the suffering caused by Agent Orange

To avoid disadvantages for this group, since 2021, the People's Council of Nghe An province has issued Resolution No. 30/2021/NQ-HĐND dated December 9, 2021 (Resolution 30) to support victims of Agent Orange/dioxin poisoning belonging to the third generation.

Nghe An's humane policies

According to this Resolution, each third-generation victim of Agent Orange will receive a monthly allowance of 180,000 VND. This is a humane resolution unique to Nghe An province. Currently, the relevant authorities in Nghe An are implementing the resolution.

Excited about the new policy, Mr. Doan Thanh Binh from Hamlet 1, Hung Chinh Commune, Vinh City, said: His family has three children who all suffer from the effects of Agent Orange/dioxin, as their grandfather participated in the resistance against the US in an area sprayed with Agent Orange. Significantly, all three children are unable to work due to the severe effects of the chemical. Therefore, receiving this funding has significantly reduced the cost of medication and hospital fees for the two children with serious illnesses.

"Previously, my father and I received support from him because he had a pension and allowances for Agent Orange victims, but now that he and his wife have passed away, my father and I are facing many difficulties. We have to try our best to cover medical expenses, medication, and daily living costs," Mr. Binh confided, adding that although the support is not much and not enough to cover monthly medical expenses, it has still encouraged his children to some extent.

Similarly, the family of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luyen in Ben Thuy ward, Vinh city, also felt comforted by the new policy. Mr. Luyen participated in the Southern battlefield in areas where the enemy sprayed chemical weapons. Initially, he was unaware that he had been exposed to this insidious poison. After returning home and starting a family, he suffered from body aches and declining health. His eldest child showed signs of intellectual decline and mental retardation as he grew older, and his second child also suffered from schizophrenia. It was then that he was shocked and had a blood test, receiving the result that he had been exposed to dioxin. Even more heartbreaking, his grandson also suffered from mental retardation and intellectual disability. This year, the grandson is 9 years old but cannot attend school.

Mr. Luyen said: "I filed disability applications for my grandchild, but he only received very little support. My family has repeatedly inquired about support for third-generation victims of Agent Orange/dioxin, and we were told that the government has not yet decided to provide assistance to people like my grandchild. Fortunately, the city recently reviewed and disbursed the provincial support funds according to Resolution 30 of the Provincial People's Council, so I was able to take my grandchild to Hanoi for medical examinations and treatment." Mr. Luyen also believes that this humane policy of the province is very significant, serving as encouragement and support for less fortunate individuals like his grandchild.

Mr. Ta Quang Du, Chairman of the Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims in Vinh City, stated: "In Vinh City, there are many families where all three generations have been affected by Agent Orange. There are also children who previously went to school and worked normally, but later developed mental disorders, and only after examination did they discover they were infected by their grandfather. Currently, the city has 3,250 people who participated in the resistance war and their children affected by chemical toxins, but only 1,210 have received the allowance for those affected by Agent Orange/dioxin. Among these, many families have up to three generations suffering from very severe chemical toxin effects."

Efforts to alleviate the suffering caused by Agent Orange

Mr. Hoang Dang Hoe, Chairman of the Provincial Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, stated: Although the subsidy from Resolution No. 30 of the Provincial People's Council is not substantial, it is a humane policy aimed at encouraging and uplifting the spirits of third-generation Agent Orange victims. Mr. Hoe added that during the review of families with members who participated in the resistance war and were exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin, many heartbreaking situations were discovered. Even though their children and grandchildren were affected by the chemical toxins and suffered severe injuries, unable to live independently, the grandfathers were not eligible for the Agent Orange/dioxin exposure allowance due to a lack of medical conditions meeting current regulations. Furthermore, many second-generation children, despite showing no clear signs of exposure, had children (third-generation) with severe aftereffects. Many third-generation children are blind, deaf, mentally impaired, suffer from schizophrenia, or are unable to live independently. However, currently, apart from the provincial support policies, these victims have not received any support from the central government.

To date, the province has 13,690 people receiving benefits under policies for those affected by Agent Orange/dioxin. However, compared to the 40,000 people who participated in the resistance war in areas contaminated with chemical toxins, this is still a small number. In recent years, to support these families, Nghe An has done a good job of implementing policies for those affected by Agent Orange, such as promptly paying benefits, assisting disadvantaged families with housing, and purchasing necessary supplies.

In particular, the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in the province and localities has also collaborated and connected with many organizations, businesses, and philanthropists to help those in difficult circumstances, gradually helping them overcome life's hardships. In just the first six months of 2023, the Association mobilized organizations, businesses, philanthropists, and the public to support and assist nearly 5,000 particularly disadvantaged victims with housing, production capital, and medical treatment, totaling over 2 billion VND.

Currently, the province has provided support to 193 people with congenital disabilities who are third-generation victims of Agent Orange/dioxin. Although the support is not substantial, it is a great source of encouragement for these particularly disadvantaged individuals in the province, helping to alleviate the suffering caused by Agent Orange for these unfortunate lives.