A fundraising app for victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin was launched by the Vietnam Association of Victims of AO/dioxin (VAVA) during a ceremony on October 6. VAVA Vice President Nguyen Van Khanh said that fundraising in recent times has faced many hardships, especially given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The VAVAPlus app features the voices of AO/dioxin victims, honors donors, and connects victims with domestic and foreign supporters. It also features an e-commerce platform to help AO/dioxin victims around the country sell products, in a bid to create sustainable livelihoods. Some VND80 million ($3,450) was raised at the launching ceremony. The app’s launch also marks 60 years of the AO disaster in Vietnam (August 10, 1961 - 2021), VAVA President Nguyen Van Rinh said. He called on organizations and individuals at home and abroad to broaden their support for victims through the freshly-launched app. The U.S. army sprayed some 80 million liters of toxic chemicals, 61% of which was Agent Orange and contained 366 kilos of dioxin, over nearly a quarter of southern Vietnam’s total area from 1961 to 1971. Figures show that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to AO/dioxin and about three million people became victims. Tens of thousands have died while millions of others have suffered from cancer and other incurable diseases as a consequence of exposure. Many of their offspring suffered birth deformities. (Quan Doi Nhan Dan)
