About 800,000 tons of bombs and ammunition remain in Vietnam after the war.

According to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in 2024, the National Steering Committee for Overcoming the Consequences of Post-War Bombs, Mines and Toxic Chemicals in Vietnam (Steering Committee 701), the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the National Mine Action Center (VNMAC) and other ministries, sectors and localities will continue to implement programs to collect, clear and destroy bombs, mines and explosives left over from the war to liberate land, serve people's welfare and socio-economic development, while promoting activities to support and assist victims of bombs and mines.

Promote activities to assist victims of bombs and mines

In 2024, the plan to implement mine action focuses on the following tasks: collecting data to prepare a summary report on the implementation of the National Action Program to overcome the consequences of post-war mines and bombs for the period 2010-2025, proposing the Program for the period 2025-2045 with a vision to 2050.

At the same time, deploy the plan to develop the Ordinance on overcoming the consequences of post-war bombs and mines; develop the National Strategy on education on mine accident prevention; complete the National Standards for overcoming post-war bombs and mines and submit them to the Ministry of Science and Technology for appraisal and promulgation (before December 2024).

In 2024, Vietnam will also expand relations with potential partners; promote international funding mobilization, consolidate and implement effective and practical cooperation; promote parties to implement signed memorandums of understanding in the field of overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines with partners from the United States, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Russia... and international organizations such as: KOICA, UNDP, JICA, GICHD, NPA, PT, ODC, MAG, HALO TRUST, NPA, CRS....

At the same time, Vietnam is implementing the project “Mine Action for the Vietnam-Korea Peace Village” for the period 2022-2026. This project will synchronously implement mine action activities such as survey and clearance, mine accident prevention education, victim support... in the three provinces of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Binh Dinh.

Also in 2024, the Japanese Government-sponsored project to support mine clearance equipment; the project to build a training ground in Ba Vi; the project to overcome the consequences of mines in Kon Tum sponsored by NPA when approved; and organizing communication and education on mine accident prevention for people in the two provinces of Binh Phuoc and Cao Bang will be implemented.

At the same time, collect and enter data on mine action into the national information management system; maintain and implement the Information Management Regulations to ensure strict compliance with regulations...

In response to the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (April 4), Steering Committee 701 and VNMAC continue to launch an online contest on how to recognize and prevent mine accidents on the website: http://vnmac.gov.vn.

The contest aims to promote propaganda work, raise awareness of preventing and avoiding accidents caused by bombs, mines and explosives left over from war in Vietnam to a wide range of people across the country.

According to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, it is estimated that the number of bombs and ammunition left over from the war in Vietnam is currently about 800,000 tons. As of 2023, the area still contaminated is very large, about 5,590,094 hectares, equivalent to nearly 17.7% of the country's area.

The number of bombs, mines and unexploded ordnance is still scattered in 63 provinces and cities, concentrated in the Central, Central Highlands and Southeastern provinces.

There are currently over 7.06 million people with disabilities nationwide, including tens of thousands of people who are victims of landmines and have been exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin. Since 1975, unexploded ordnance has killed more than 40,000 people and injured 60,000 others, most of whom are the main breadwinners in their families, ethnic minorities and children.

Over the past 50 years since the end of the war, the Vietnamese Party and State have always paid attention to overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines, especially issuing policies to support livelihoods for bomb and mine victims.

On April 21, 2010, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 504/QD-TTg approving the "National Action Program to Overcome the Consequences of Post-War Bombs and Mines for the 2010-2025 Period" (Program 504) to mobilize domestic and international resources to minimize and completely overcome the effects of bombs, mines and explosives left over from the war, serving the socio-economic development of the country...

Efforts to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines

Recently, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 748/QD-TTg approving the Plan to implement the National Action Program to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines for the period 2023-2025.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has advised and submitted to the Government many documents regulating social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries, assisting people with disabilities in the 2021-2030 period, developing social work in the 2021-2030 period; approving the Program to improve the quality of protection and health care for people with revolutionary contributions, the elderly, children, people with disabilities and those in need of social assistance in the 2021-2025 period.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs supports the effective implementation of the model of care, livelihood support, job creation, and credit loans for production and business for mine victims and people with disabilities in 10 provinces/cities: Khanh Hoa, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Quang Ninh, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Binh, Binh Dinh, Vinh Long.

The Department of Social Protection has developed and deployed software to register and determine the level of disability for people with disabilities and mine victims in some localities. The database from the software system has been applied in issuing certificates of disability level, case management and supporting health examination, rehabilitation, livelihood and vocational training for mine victims in localities; in the two provinces of Quang Binh and Binh Dinh alone, there are more than 90,000 mine victims managed on the software system.

In 2023, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs will coordinate with media agencies to develop a plan to organize communications to raise awareness of all levels, sectors and the community about the views and policies of the Party and State on people with disabilities and victims of bombs and mines on policies and programs to support people with disabilities; produce films and reports on supporting people with disabilities, typical portraits of supporting people with disabilities and victims of toxic chemicals.

In 2023, the National Mine Action Center organized propaganda activities in response to the International Day for Raising Awareness of Mine Hazards on April 4, 2023, propagating the current situation and consequences to educate people in Son La and Dong Thap on mine accident prevention awareness with good results; coordinated with the Vietnam Association for Support in Overcoming Consequences of Mines to organize livelihood assistance for 113 mine victims in difficult circumstances to stabilize their lives.

In 2023, the engineering corps has developed a plan to clear 1,500 hectares of land heavily contaminated with mines and bombs in Vi Xuyen and Quan Ba ​​districts of Ha Giang province. To date, the authorities have cleared 1,232 hectares (80% of the plan) and handed them over to the people for production and labor, and collected the remains of 6 martyrs.

In 2023, VNMAC, in collaboration with CRS Vietnam, with funding from the US Department of State, is building and preparing to launch the National Electronic Library on overcoming the consequences of post-war bombs and mines in the near future. This library will be integrated on the VNMAC website at http://thuviendientu.vnmac.gov.vn.

After its launch, the electronic library will be a repository of documents, introducing and preserving full information and documents on post-war mine clearance work in Vietnam up to now.

The National Mine Action Center has implemented and completed the project "Information management system in overcoming the consequences of mines" for the period 2020-2023 as planned; submitted to the Prime Minister for approval of the project implementation policy for the period 2023-2025, implemented; developed documents to implement the project "Mine Action for the Vietnam-Korea Peace Village," reported to the Ministry of National Defense to submit to the Government for approval of the policy; coordinated to develop the equipment support project sponsored by Japan and the project to build a training ground in Ba Vi sponsored by the United States.