The Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC) and the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) Vietnam on November 17 held a meeting in Hanoi to review the second phase of a technical survey project on mine clearance in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, which was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), local media reported. The VNMAC Technical Survey Project is the joint project between VNMAC and NPA Vietnam. The project, implemented during the first ten months of this year, aimed to survey 244 spots and 163 areas to identify Confirmed Hazardous Areas (CHA) and conduct clearance in eight communes in A Luoi district. By far, the project has fulfilled 16 tasks, with 910.5 hectares of land surveyed and 619 items of explosive handled. The VNMAC proposed ending the second phase and building the third phase of the project. It also asked for permission to perfect the technical methods for use in mine clearance activities across the country. Thua Thien-Hue is one of the provinces with the highest level of landmines contamination in the country, with more than 170,400 hectares, accounting for 35% of the province’s total area. (QDND, en.Vietnam Plus, VOVworld)
