Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Association forVictims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) has been adopting innovative methods tomaximise support and donations from organisations and individuals for AO/dioxinvictims.
According to Nguyen Van Khanh, VAVA Vice Chairmanand Director of the fund for AO/dioxin victims in Vietnam, by the end of June2022, the fund had raised over 3 trillion VND (over 128 million USD) to assistAO/dioxin victims and their families.
Notably, the fund raised about 400 billion VND in2021, and over 200 billion VND in the first half of 2022, helping to repair andbuild charity houses, grant scholarships, and provide free medicine andtreatment for thousands of AO/dioxin victims.
Pham Ngoc Kiem, Chairman of the VAVA’s chapter inthe northern province of Nam Dinh, said through the movement “Action for AOvictims" in 2021, the organisation raised over 23 billion VND fromagencies, units and donors in and outside the locality.
Over 39,000 victims and households in Nam Dinhhave so far received the assistance from the organisation, Kiem said.
In the first six months of 2022, the chapterhelped build and repair seven houses for the families of victims, provide allowancesfor over 100 families, and give free medical examinations and medicines tonearly 1,000 people, he added.
Statistics show that as many as 10,000 people inthe Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu were exposed to AO/dioxin.
According to Vo Thi Hong Thoai, Chairwoman of theVAVA’s chapter in Bac Lieu, most of the victims and their families often facedifficult health and economic conditions, and they are in dire need of supportfrom the community and society.
In the first six months of this year, theorganisation raised over 1.2 billion VND, benefiting a large number of victims.
Thoai said over 1,600 gift packages worth over 700million VND, while a number of families received interest-free loans to developproduction and business./.
