55th anniversary of AO/Dioxin catastrophe marked
VOV.VN - One thousand volunteers gathered at a cycling event themed “For Agent Orange/ Dioxin victims” on August 7 in Hanoi to mark the 55th anniversary of Agent Orange/Dioxin catastrophe in Vietnam.
The cycling event for AO/Dioxin victims involves the biggest number of participants.
Pham Van Toi, Chairman of the Managing Board of Vietnam Education and Communications Joint Stock Company, is the Chief organizer said, "The event called on the community to support AO/Dioxin victims through meaningful activities. Through this event, volunteers, workers and students share their love for AO victims through practical activities."
On the night of August 6, a gala themed “Join hands to ease the pain of AO/Dioxin” took place in Ninh Binh province. Outstanding AO/Dioxin victims and individuals who are active in supporting the victims participated in talk shows.
The event also raised fund for the AO/Dioxin victims in Ninh Binh province.
From 1961 – 1971, US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of herbicides, 44 million litres of which were AO, containing nearly 370 kilograms of dioxin, over southern Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Association of Victims of AO/dioxin (VAVA).
As a result, around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical, roughly 3 million of them are AO victims.