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The Central Committee of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) held a press conference in Hanoi on June 24 to announce a series of activities to be held to mark the 60th anniversary of the Vietnam AO/Dioxin disaster day (August 10, 1961-2021). |
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At the event, VAVA Chairman Nguyen Van Rinh said a number of key events will run in the capital city, including a congress of 300 delegates to honour outstanding supporters of the AO/dioxin victims during 2016 – 2021; and an international seminar on AO/dioxin related illnesses. A meeting with the participation of between 300 and 500 people will be held to show the serious consequences of chemicals on the human health and environment as well as Vietnam’s efforts in addressing such consequences, and will call for domestic and international support toward the AO community. The activities will also feature an exhibition, an award ceremony of a VAVA-initiated writing contest, and a text message campaign to raise fund for the victims. The VAVA central committee said these events will take place virtually or physically in a limited scale in line with pandemic-prevention regulations. From 1961-1971, US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of herbicides – 44 million litres of which were AO containing nearly 370 kilograms of dioxin – over southern Vietnam. As a result, around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical. Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases as a direct result of the chemical’s effects. Source: Nhan Dan Online |
