The US State Department has pledged 10 million USD in aid for thecentral province of Quang Tri to disarm unexploded ordnances (UXOs) leftover from the war in Vietnam.

A memorandum ofunderstanding was signed on May 18 between the provincial People’sCommittee and the Mine Advisory Group (MAG) to carry out the UXOclearance project in the province between 2015 and 2017.

The project aims to reduce the risks of injuries caused by UXOs whileclearing contaminated areas and improving local livelihoods.

The provincial People’s Committee and the MAG will decide on theoperational scale of UXOs disarming teams and will adjust as necessarythrough each period of the project.

The two sidesare expected to further their cooperation to ensure safe cultivativeland for farmers and contribute to local socio-economic development,said Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Thuc.

Local authorities pledged to facilitate the implementation of the project, he added.

Statistically, some 391,500 hectares of land in Quang Tri arecontaminated due to UXOs, making up more than 83 percent of theprovincial area.

In 1996, Quang Tri was the first locality in Vietnam to receive global support in defusing bombs and mines.

One of the first international organisations assisting the provincewas the MAG, who has coordinated closely with local authorities to clearover 6.1 million square metres of land for cultivating since 1999.

The group has also detected and treated morethan 133,000 pieces of explosive materials and 2,500 bombs and minesleft from war, benefiting over 1.5 million local residents.-VNA