Việt Nam needs over US$10 billion to clear unexplored bombs and mines which have contaminated over 20% of its land area, said Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The Deputy PM made the announcement on April 2 in Hà Nội at a meeting to mobilize domestic and foreign sources to help clear war-era bombs and mines.

VN seeks US$10 bln to clear UXO

Việt Nam, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan said, is trying to gain more sources to speed up the bomb and mine clearance process in the next several decades.

So far, unexploded bombs and mines have caused severe impacts on socio-economic performance and local lives. The war-era legacy has, especially, claimed around 40,000 lives (including 30,000 children) and injured 60,000 others over the past 40 years.

The country yearly spends thousands of VND on bomb clearance and assistance to victims. The Vietnamese Government will mobilize all resources to solve the war consequences and hopes to receive more support from other countries, especially the US, said Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan.

Earlier, PM Nguyen Tan Dung in April 2010 passed the National Action Plan to surmount consequences of bombs and mines left from war in the 2010-2025 period, which aims to call for domestic and foreign assistance for bomb and landmine victims.

On this occasion, 34 domestic organizations financed VND 7.5 billion and nine international organizations donated US$15 million for the National Action Plan./.

Source: VGP