As a consequence of the Vietnam War, and the conflicts with China and Cambodia in the 70’s, Vietnam is heavily contaminated by explosive remnants of war (ERW), mainly unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Vietnam also has one of the most extensive contamination problems with cluster munition remnants (CMR ) in the world. The US dropped 413,130 tons of submunitions over Vietnam between 1965 and 1973, striking 55 provinces and cities. According to the Landmine Monitor, as of Oct 2017, there have been at least 105,059 mine/ERW casualties.
Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) began supporting Vietnam in 2007 with establishment of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Response team within Project RENEW (Restore the Environment and Neutralize the Effects of the War) in Quang Tri province. The project has evolved and has grown significantly with NPA now being their primary partner. In 2010, NPA piloted its own operations in Thua Thien Hue Province, having more flexibility on the design of methodology and operations. Also from 2010, NPA started to work with national operators and authorities on issues such Information management, Land Release and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Since then, NPA has developed into one of Vietnam’s leading and most diverse international NGOs working in mine action.
NPA is currently running capacity development, survey and clearance projects in Hanoi, Quang Tri Province, Thua Thien Hue Province and Quang Binh Province. The most noticeable added value to the Vietnam mine action program is NPA’s development of the Cluster Munition Remnants Survey (CMRS) methodology; an evidence based survey methodology to confirm the locations of hazards and quantify the CWD problem in Vietnam.
NPA operations include Non-Technical Survey and Technical Survey teams, Battle Area Clearance (BAC) teams and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) mobile teams. In addition to this, NPA has been working to increase coordination within the sector and for capacity development at both national and provincial levels.
- MBT: not a state party.
- CCM: not acceded.
- Over 100,000 people have been recorded as victims of UXO from 1975 and until today in Vietnam. The real numbers are likely to be higher.
- Vietnam still has one of the highest civilian accident rates in the world.
- NPA Mine Action and Disarmament Vietnam has achieved since 2007:
- 7,079,948 square meters of land released for development, constructions of community houses and football fields.
- 106,817 CMs and other ERW found and safely destroyed.
- Defined and marked through Technical Survey (TS), 998 Confirmed Hazardous Areas (CHA), consisting of nearly 440 million square meters of land, including 7 CHAs of more than 7,8 million square meters of land resulted from TS project in partnership with the VNMAC.
- 52,702 households exposed to mine risk education provided through Non-Technical Survey
