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MAG has operated in Vietnam since 1999, destroying landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) to provide safe access to vital land for housing, agriculture, infrastructure and community development. Many years of conflict have resulted in widespread contamination from explosive remnants of war (ERW) throughout the country. Besides being a threat to the safety of civilians, the presence of ERW hinders economic development in Vietnam, even thirty years after the end of the war. MAG works in the most heavily affected provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Tri, using highly-trained Vietnamese staff to conduct operations.
MAG’s Vietnam program targets the most at-risk communities through the following activities:
- Community Liaison teams gather information from at-risk communities to identify how mines and UXO impact their lives.
- Highly-trained explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams deploy to the most vulnerable, at-risk communities, as prioritized by the Community Liaison teams.
- The EOD teams, through a combination of technical survey and clearance, are able to locate, remove, and destroy dangerous items.
- MAG teams are also able to respond to emergency requests when mines or UXO present an immediate threat to people's safety.
- Mine Risk Education (MRE) teams provide necessary safety information to communities to reduce the risk of injury or death from mines and UXO.
Through this approach, MAG reaches the most affected communities, reduces the threat from mines and UXO, and improves the livelihood and economic development of vulnerable populations. MAG's activities are closely linked to provincial development plans in Vietnam. This enables a much broader and strategic approach to the problem and ensures that MAG's work supports poverty reduction objectives at a national level.
"I did not dare throw the item to other areas because I was afraid to touch it...."
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"Bombie" is the local term for cluster munitions. Its innocuous name belies its deadly nature. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Chien, a 40-year-old housewife and her ten year old daughter, lived yards from one of these deadly explosive items, which had been tossed into the corner of her garden by construction workers. "I did not dare throw the item to other areas because I was afraid to touch it and that it would be found by other people. There are already too many bombies in the village and I did not want to add one more threat to my neighbors," said Mrs. Chien, adding that sometimes bombies are thrown onto the beach where children play. After Mrs. Chien showed MAG the location of the item, it was safely removed from the community and destroyed, allowing her to once again use her garden. |