Receiving and working with the delegation were Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tran Tien Dung and representatives of agencies and localities involved.

According to survey data released by the Provincial Border Guard Headquarter, Quang Binh is one of the most contaminated provinces in Vietnam by UXOs. At present, 159/159 communes and wards in Quang Binh province with 28,2% of the total area, equivalent to nearly 225,000 ha is contaminated by landmines and UXOs. Every single square metre in Quang Binh province had to suffer 29 kg of landmines and UXOs.

Since 1975, 2,938 people have been killed and 2,909 people injured by UXO. The number of UXO survivors has been 19.928 people (including wounded soldiers before and after 1975).

Over the past 5 years, there have been 164 accidents, with 49 deaths and 115 injured people. In 2015 alone, there have been 5 UXO related accidents, killing 5 and injuring 7 people. Most of the victims were breadwinners or children in the family.

At present, Quang Binh is still heavily contaminated by explosive remnant of war (ERW) and the ERW accidents have continued to occur. Government of Vietnam in general and Quang Binh province in particularly are very concerned about the mine remediation, including: UXO clearance; victim assistance; mine risk education…

Victim assistance activities, such as: first aid, treatment, support the victim’s family, rehabilitation, vocational training... have reached many significant achievements, creating the condition for the survivors to integrate into the community.

However, due to the lack of the resources, the assistance could not meet all the needs of mine victims. Quang Binh province is really in need of support from countries all over the world, international organizations and community.

Most of the mine victims in Quang Binh are members of poor and near poor households and live in economically disadvantaged area. They are unemployed and mostly rely on their families. The victim rescue activities are not systematic and timely, especially at communal level.

In addition, the capacity of social work staff and medical staff is limited; the medical equipment and infrastructure of communal health stations are downgraded and do not meet the needs in health care, rehabilitation, support of mine victims.

Besides, the awareness of people about the consequences and prevention of mine accidents is limited. The inspection, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on the result of victim assistance activities has not been implemented uniformly across the communal, district and provincial levels.

At the meeting, delegates spent time on discussing issues involving to building a plan to support mine victims in improving the capacity of assistance, ensuring a barrier-free society, exercising the rights and improving the mine victims’ lives; step-by-step facilitate their reintegration into the community, helping them settle down and overcome difficulties in lives; develop rehabilitation and social assistance services for mine victims.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee thanked KOICA's assistance for Quang Binh province in the past years.

On behalf of provincial leader, Vice Chairman committed to timely direct related agencies in collaboration with KOICA to complete the project.

Besides, Vice Chairman also expressed his hope that through this project, the province will attract many enterprises from South Korea to Quang Binh, particularly cooperation in education and health.

By Nhu Y
(Source: Quang Binh Portal)