Mobilizing all resources to overcome the consequences of bombs and mines
On the morning of December 5, in Hanoi, the State Steering Committee on the National Action Program to Overcome the Consequences of Post-War Bombs and Mines (Steering Committee 504) held a seminar on "Joining hands to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines."
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Head of Steering Committee 504 attended and directed the discussion. Ambassadors of several countries in Vietnam, representatives of several non-governmental organizations and international organizations in Vietnam; representatives of ministries, branches and localities of Vietnam also attended.
Opening the discussion, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung emphasized: “The war has been over for decades, but it still leaves behind painful remnants, including hundreds of thousands of tons of remaining bombs and ammunition, causing daily casualties and losses, creating additional burdens for many families and Vietnamese society. The area of land contaminated with bombs and mines is still very large, accounting for more than 20% of the country's area, causing difficulties for production and people's lives as well as the country's socio-economic development.”
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the seminar. Photo: Duc Tam/VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed that the Vietnamese Government has paid special attention to the issue of overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines; up to now, it has issued many mechanisms and policies and annually spent thousands of billions of VND to overcome the consequences. Thanks to the efforts of ministries, sectors, localities and the whole society, and the valuable cooperation of international friends, the work of overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines left over from the war in Vietnam has achieved many important achievements such as detecting, collecting and handling millions of bombs, mines and explosives, cleaning hundreds of thousands of hectares of land; actively organizing propaganda and education on bomb and mine prevention and avoidance, raising awareness among people, contributing to gradually reducing bomb and mine accidents; supporting, treating, rehabilitating and reintegrating people into the community who suffered the consequences of bombs and mines.
The Prime Minister emphasized that in the coming time, along with maximizing all domestic resources, the Vietnamese Government always appreciates and hopes to continue receiving valuable cooperation and support, and joining hands to contribute from the international community, helping Vietnam overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines.
On behalf of the Government, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung thanked the assistance and support of countries, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations that have cooperated with Vietnamese departments, sectors, and localities in overcoming the consequences of post-war bombs, mines, and explosives in Vietnam.
At the seminar, delegates discussed and assessed the current situation of bombs and mines left over from the war in Vietnam; proposed solutions and plans to implement projects to clear bombs and mines left over from the war, and plans to overcome casualties and reintegrate victims into the community in Vietnam.
The seminar also aimed to effectively mobilize and coordinate domestic and foreign resources to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines in Vietnam.
Many Ambassadors and representatives of international organizations affirmed their strong commitment to continue cooperating and supporting Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of post-war bombs and mines.
Emphasizing the efforts of the United States to cooperate and support Vietnam in overcoming and resolving problems caused by the consequences of war in the past, contributing positively to building mutual understanding and trust between the two countries, US Ambassador David Bruce Shear affirmed the desire of the United States to continue to cooperate more closely with the Vietnamese Government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations... in overcoming the consequences of war in Vietnam, including overcoming the consequences of bombs, mines and explosives left over from the war.
The ceremony to announce the Decision to establish Steering Committee 504 headed by the Prime Minister and the announcement of the National Action Program to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines for the period 2010-2025 also took place on this occasion.
Accordingly, the National Action Program to Overcome the Consequences of Post-War Bombs and Mines (2010-2025) clearly affirms the goal of mobilizing domestic and international resources to minimize and completely overcome the effects of bombs and mines to serve socio-economic development; ensure safety for people; and help bomb and mine victims integrate into social life.
Specific tasks were also set out in the 2010-2015 period and the 2016-2025 period, such as completing the investigation, survey, and mapping of bomb, mine, and explosive contamination nationwide; educating people about bomb and mine accident prevention in provinces with heavy pollution and many bomb and mine accidents according to the preliminary investigation results conducted in 2002; continuing to carry out bomb and mine clearance to serve the task of socio-economic development and ensure safety for people, reaching an area of about 800,000 hectares; continuing to implement projects to support victims and support resettlement for people in areas contaminated with bombs and mines in heavily contaminated provinces.
For nearly a century, through many wars against foreign invaders, the country and people of Vietnam have suffered many losses and heavy impacts due to a large number of bombs, mines and ammunition.
Although the war has been over for several decades, it still leaves behind many painful remnants, including hundreds of thousands of tons of remaining bombs and ammunition, which still cause heartbreaking consequences every day.
According to incomplete statistics, nationwide, over 42,130 people have died and more than 62,160 people have been injured due to bombs and mines left over from the war. On average, each year, about 1,530 people die and about 2,270 people are injured.
This loss has created an additional burden for many families and Vietnamese society. The area of land contaminated with mines and bombs is still very large, accounting for over 20% of the country's area, causing many difficulties for production and people's lives, as well as the country's socio-economic development.
Immediately after the end of the war, the Vietnamese Government paid special attention to overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines. Up to now, many policies and mechanisms have been issued and thousands of billions of VND (equivalent to hundreds of millions of USD) have been spent annually to overcome the consequences.
Thanks to the efforts of ministries, branches, localities and the whole society, and the valuable cooperation and assistance of international friends, the work of overcoming the consequences of post-war bombs and mines in Vietnam has achieved many important achievements in all aspects.
The whole country has detected, collected and processed millions of bombs, mines and explosives of all kinds, liberated hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, contributed to overcoming the consequences of war, regenerating land funds, ensuring the environment and safe conditions for production and people's lives, minimizing accidents and injuries caused by bombs and mines; actively organized propaganda and education on bomb and mine prevention in schools and communities, raised people's awareness, contributed to gradually reducing the number of bomb and mine accidents; at the same time, supported treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration into the community for people suffering from the consequences caused by bombs and mines.
According to VNA/Vietnam+