The Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) hascalled for better care for people affected by the toxic chemical sprayedby the US troops during the war.

At a workingsession with Ha Thi Khiet, head of the Party Central Committee’sCommission for Mass Mobilisation, in Hanoi on September 5, VAVAPresident Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh suggestedstrengthening the Party leadership in addressing consequences of thechemical warfare in Vietnam .

Khiet took note of difficulties that the association has met while looking after the AO victims.

In the foreseeable future, the five-year implementation of ConclusionNo.292-BT/TW on these issues will be reviewed, she said, adding that areview committee will be established later this month.

From 1961-1971, the US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres ofherbicides - 44 million litres of which were AO that contained nearly370kg of dioxin - over southern Vietnam.

As aresult, around 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the toxicchemical. Many of the victims have died, while millions of theirdescendants are living with deformities and diseases due to thechemical’s effects.

Vietnamhas adopted a number of policies specifically designed for AgentOrange (AO)/Dioxin victims, supporting them with vocational training andmedical treatment.

However,supporting policies for the victims should be updated and improvedregularly as only 300,000 out of the three million people affected bythe toxic chemical benefit from the incentives.

Established in 2004, VAVA now has chapters in 59 cities and provinceswith over 315,000 members. It has raised more than 800 billion VND (37.8million USD) in and outside the country to repair and build houses,grant scholarships, and offer relief for AO victims and their families.-VNA