- Details
- Written by: VietPublic
- Category: News
- Hits: 25
US funding halt forces 1,000 workers out of jobs in Vietnam War bomb clearance efforts
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins (L) listens as a bomb expert explains the denotation process in Trieu Son Commune, Trieu Phong District of Quang Tri Province in 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Tao
Quang Tri Province, a battlefield during the Vietnam War, is facing setbacks in its efforts to clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) following the suspension of key projects due to a halt in U.S. government funding.
The suspension was announced last Saturday by the provincial Department of Foreign Affairs.
"Quang Tri Province will face significant challenges due to the temporary suspension of crucial survey and bomb clearance projects funded by the U.S. Department of State. These include projects implemented through the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), and PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTVN)," the department's press release stated.
A USAID-funded project supporting persons with disabilities, including Agent Orange victims, has also been affected, it said.
The halt in funding has forced over 1,000 workers involved in post-war recovery efforts to cease their work, according to the department.
These projects are vital for addressing the province's UXO contamination, clearing land for development, and ensuring community safety.
They also provide essential support to people with disabilities, including Agent Orange victims, through social integration programs and improved access to rehabilitation services.
Ho Van Giang, a member of the survey team for PeaceTrees Vietnam, expressed his concerns to the newspaper Lao Dong va Cong Doan (Labor and Union) managed by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.
"Receiving the notice of the unit's temporary suspension, I felt very sad and worried," Giang said. "For now, I will return to farming to support my family while waiting for further updates and hoping that the organization will resume operations soon."
Giang, the sole breadwinner for his family of five, currently earns VND8 million (US$340) per month.
The U.S. government on Feb. 4 ordered a 90-day pause on operations for all foreign NGOs receiving funding from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Trump administration announced then it was putting on leave all directly hired USAID employees globally.
USAID, which managed over $40 billion in aid in 2023, employed more than 10,000 people worldwide, two-thirds of whom worked overseas.
The agency provided aid to some 130 countries in 2023, many of them shattered by conflict and deeply impoverished. The top recipients were Ukraine, followed by Ethiopia, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan, according to Congressional Research Service (CRS).
Reuters cited sources familiar with the plan as saying that only 294 staff at the agency would be allowed to keep their jobs, including 12 in the Africa Bureau and eight in the Asia Bureau.
Quang Tri, located in the frontline between north and south Vietnam during wartime, was the most UXO-contaminated locality in Vietnam. Since 1975, after the war ended, UXOs have caused over 8,540 casualties, including 3,432 deaths in Quang Tri. A third of the casualties are people aged under 16.
According to the Quang Tri Mine Action Center, nearly 62,000 hectares of land in the province are contaminated with cluster munitions. Despite significant efforts, with nearly 38,000 hectares cleared and 830,600 explosive devices safely disposed of, the threat of UXO contamination remains a serious challenge.
The Quang Tri Department of Foreign Affairs said it is coordinating with international organizations to urge the U.S. government to reconsider the funding pause and resume the humanitarian programs in the province.