The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and localitiesnationwide are carrying out charitable activities to support victims ofAgent Orange/dioxin and their families in response to the Day forAO/Dioxin Victims (August 10).

On August 7, VNAhanded over a house to Hoang Thi Uyen, in Mai Trung commune, Hiep Hoadistrict, the northern province of Bac Giang, who is physicallychallenged because of exposure to dioxin contained in Agent Orange.

The house costs 30 million VND (1,410 USD) sourced from the VNA fund for AO victims.

Vice Chairman of the communal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tienhighlighted the gift as a source of encouragement for Uyen to overcomedifficulties in life.

The same day, the Mekong Deltaprovince of Soc Trang, home to over 14,000 AO victims, presented sixwheelchairs worth 1.5 million VND (70.5 USD) each to local dioxinsufferers and 31 scholarships to primary and secondary students affectedby this toxic chemical.

Seven other students also received scholarships sponsored by Masako Sakata from Japan and Francoise Brassart from France.

On this occasion, officials from the Associations for Victims ofAO/dioxin of Quang Binh, Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc provinces visited andpresented gifts to dioxin-exposed people.

Duringthe war in Vietnam, the US troops sprayed nearly 80 million litres ofherbicides, 61 percent of which was Agent Orange containing 366kg ofdioxin.

An estimated 4.8 million Vietnamese wereexposed to the toxic chemical, with over 3 million of them dying orpainfully struggling against the substance’s terrible effects.-VNA