The Vietnam News Agency has sent 20.5million VND in aid to 25 Agent Orange/dioxin victims nationwide andbuilt a house valued at 15 million VND for a victim’s family insouthern Tien Giang province.

The money, almost2,000 USD, was provided by the VNA’s Relief Fund for AO Victims tohonour Vietnamese AO Victims Day, on August 10.

The charity for AO victims has brought the nation closer together.

In the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh , 346.27 million VNDwas raised over the past three years to benefit 1,300 victims byproviding them with investment, medical treatment and building orupgrading houses.

Currently the province is building four charity houses for local victims.

In Hoa Binh, almost 4,700 people are thought to have been exposed tothe toxic chemical while only 1,781 receive State allowances.

The midland province of Phu Tho has provided loans of over 200 millionVND to almost 90 victim families under a project set up in 2003 to helpthem boost household economies.

In Danang city, the Transport Project Construction Corporation No. 5and the local police sent a joint delegation to visit and present giftsvalued at 300,000 VND each to over 100 victims in Hoa Vang district.

The transport corporation also offered to provide monthly allowancesfor 30 victims in Hoa Vang district. Commitments to regular allowancesand saving accounts for 22 other victims in the district were also madeby other donors.

Hoa Vang is home to over 2,300 disabled people, including 957 with AO symptoms.

In the southern province of Tien Giang , the provincial Association forAO/dioxin Victims presented gifts to 200 victims and 30 wheelchairs forAO sufferers with disabilities.

The donations came to 73.5 million VND, from various sources, includingthe VNA. The news agency also built a house worth 15 million VND forNguyen Ke Giang in Cai Be district./.