Vietnamese Center, U.S. NGO Ink Deal on Support to Explosive Ordinance Edu

The Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC) and the U.S. non-governmental organization Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Vietnam on March 23 sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on support to explosive ordnance risk education in Vietnam, local media reported. Under the MoU, CRS Vietnam will provide technical and financial aid to VNMAC to build a national strategy for unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk education and compile the national standards on the education and those on support for UXO victims. This project, lasting till July 2024, will help improve VNMAC staff’s capacity and support related communications and education activities carried out by the center. CRS Vietnam will also assist VNMAC to access common information and further take part in events like workshops and training conferences of the international UXO settlement community. According to VNMAC, there are about 800,000 tons of UXO left from wartime nationwide, with nearly 6.1 million hectares of land contaminated or suspected to be contaminated, accounting for 18.71% of Vietnam’s total area. Since 1975, UXO has killed more than 40,000 people and injured 60,000 others, most of whom are breadwinners of their families, ethnic minority people, and children. (Quan Doi Nhan Dan, QDND, bienphong, en.Vietnam Plus)