U.S. to increase support for mine clearance in central province
VGP - Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, paid a working trip to the central province of Quang Tri on September 9 to learn about its post-war recovery.
At a mine disposal site in Quang Tri (Photo: VNA)
Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Hoang Nam presented results of the cooperation between Quang Tri and international and foreign non-profit organisations in addressing the consequences of bombs and mines left from war.
He said according to a report by the Vietnamese Defence Ministry in 2017, Quang Tri was the province most affected by bombs and mines, which scattered 81.36% of the province. From 1996 till July 2022, the province raised over US$146,6 million from international and foreign non-profit organizations for post-war mine clearance, and so far 275.85 million sq.m have been cleared.
Since 1996, the US Government has assisted Quang Tri in clearing bombs and mines, building schools for the disabled and medical stations, and improving the emergency response capacity at a total cost of around US$91.1 million.
Nam asked the U.S. Department of State to continue funding clearance projects in Quang Tri via foreign non-profit organisations, helping the province improve the capacity of coordinating bomb and mine clearance, and launch projects in support of Agent Orange victims.
Jenkins said she wished to work more closely with the locality to address bomb and mine consequences, while praising women's role in the effort.
During the trip, Jenkins visited a mine disposal site in Trieu Son commune, Trieu Phong district; the Office of the Peace Trees Viet Nam, and held a working session with the Quang Tri Mine Action Center./. VNA
