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MAG has a positive impact on people's lives. By clearing villages of landmines and unexploded ordnance, land is freed up for agriculture and community development. |
The problem
Millions of tonnes of ordnance were dropped on Vietnam between 1964 and 1973. It is estimated that up to one third of this ordnance did not detonate. This unexploded ordnance (UXO) still contaminates the ground, affecting as much as 20 per cent of the total area of Vietnam.
There are also landmines, most of which were laid during conflicts with neighbouring countries during the 1970s.
UXO and landmines can explode if disturbed, causing injury and death. They also keep people in poverty, by preventing them from carrying out everyday activities such as farming fields, building houses, digging fish ponds or collecting food in the forest. Some of the poorest areas of Vietnam are those that are the most heavily contaminated with UXO.
How MAG is helping
Much of MAG’s work involves mobile Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operations, whereby teams systematically work through every village in a commune, clearing all known items of UXO and suspect areas.
Since 1999, MAG has conducted mobile clearance operations in more than 1,300 villages, cleared more than seven million square metres of land for agriculture and community development, and removed and destroyed close to 150,000 landmines and items of UXO.
Small, prioritised areas for resettlement or community development are cleared at the request of local communities and authorities. MAG Vietnam also responds to emergency EOD requests. Our work is closely linked to the development plans of the provinces, districts and communities in which we operate.
See these pages for detailed information on MAG's latest work in Vietnam:
Your donation to MAG helps us to move into current and former conflict zones to clear the remnants of conflict, enabling recovery and assisting the development of affected populations.
Beneficiaries
The removal of removal of all known UXO from their local environment opens up land for vulnerable families which can be used for resettlement and agriculture, while social development projects which can be carried out once clearance is complete benefit the wider community.
Find out more
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MAG would like to express its thanks to the following donors to its Vietnam operations: Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Department for International Development (DFID); Talisman Energy; Irish Aid; Jersey Overseas Aid Commission; Adopt-A-Minefield; Imperial Tobacco.
November 2009
www.maginternational.org/vietnam
