Norway to support mine clearance in Vietnam

The mines from the Vietnam war are still there, laying beneath the ground in the Vietnamese jungles even though the war ended more than 40 years ago.

It’s mines like this claymore that still lures beneath the ground in rural Vietnam

And since the war ended, more than forty thousand people have been killed by unexploded ordinance, the late victims of a country ravaged by war from 1945-1975.

The clearance of the mines rely heavily on international support, and according to VNExpress, The Norwegian People’s Aid has just donated $10 million to help clear the mines and unexploded missiles and bombs.

The charity organisation signed a contract with the Quang Tri province, where the deadly legacy of the French and American invaders still lies under the grounds.

The Quang Tri province was the hardest hit one during the Vietnam War. It was a center for American military bases and a principle battleground during the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Vietnam is currently clearing 40.000-50.000 hectares each year with the help of the international community, but is not believed to be free of mines for several decades and according to some it may take up to a hundred years before the country is finally free of all the leftover bombs and mines.

The project signed between The Norwegian People’s Aid and the Quang Tri province will run until 2022.

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