Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan speaks at a ceremony marking 60 years of the Agent Orange/Dioxin disaster in Vietnam, December 28, 2021.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan said overcoming the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin sprayed by the US during the war in Vietnam is an urgent and long-term task and is also the responsibility of the whole political system and society. She asked the VAVA to mobilize more social resources to help AO victims and their fight for justice.

“The Association needs to reform its communications to make the public inside and outside the country better understand the AO disaster in Vietnam and mobilize their support for AO victims. We need to implement more practical activities focusing on providing health care, generating jobs and improving the life of AO victims and their families," Ms. Xuan said. 

"We should also pay more attention to people living in the areas exposed to toxic chemicals, especially those in remote, disadvantaged areas. It’s also important to inspect the enforcement of policies for AO victims.”

From 1961 to 1971, the US army sprayed around 80 million liters of toxic chemicals, 61% of which were Agent Orange containing 366 kg of dioxin, on Vietnam’s southern region causing serious, long-term consequences to Vietnam’s environment, ecosystem, and Vietnamese people’s health.

More than 4.8 million Vietnamese people are exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin, 3 million of them are victims.