Since the war ended in Vietnam in 1975, more than 42,000 people have been killed and about 62,000 other wounded by bombs, mines and other explosives.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has pledged to donate US$1.1 million to help Vietnam reduce the number of injuries caused by bombs and landmines and raise public awareness of the issue.

This is part of a project on bomb and landmine prevention under a national cooperation programme between Vietnam and UNICEF in the 2006-2010 period. The project is being carried out in six central provinces namely Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, with the aim of spreading information about the danger of bombs and landmines among children and residents in these localities.

The project also helps local agencies increase cooperation in preventing accidents caused by bombs and landmines.

In 2002, UNICEF coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Training in launching a programme on the risk of bombs and explosives.

As the United Nations General Secretary selected April 4 as International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, various activities took place all over the world to increase awareness of bomb and landmine prevention in an effort to completely remove bombs and landmines.