Art exchange aims to ease pain of AO victims

The event took place on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the AO catastrophe in Vietnam (August 10, 1961) and the Day for AO/dioxin victims (August 10).

VAVA Chairman Nguyen Van Rinh expressed his hope that the programme will help people around the world know more about the AO disaster in Vietnam, thus joining hands to ease the pain of the victims and support Vietnam in the fight for justice.

Attending the event, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh described it as a meaningful activity to help international friends understand better about endevours of Vietnamese Party and State in addressing post-war consequences

It also calls on organisations and individuals at home and abroad to provide both material and spiritual support for the victims, he added.

At the programme, the VAVA raised 500 million VND (22,000 USD) from auctioning two pictures to contribute to the AO/dioxin victim fund.

The US army sprayed some 80 million litres of toxic chemicals, 61 percent of which was Agent Orange containing 366 kilograms of dioxin, over nearly one quarter of the total area of South Vietnam from 1961 to 1971.

Preliminary statistics showed that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to AO/dioxin, and about 3 million people became victims. Tens of thousands of people have died while millions of others have suffered from cancer and other incurable diseases as consequences of exposure. Many of their offspring have also suffered from birth deformities.