Project:Sandbox

=Who is focusing on the needs and recovery of the Vietnamese Agent Orange victims?=

Overview
During the Vietnam War, the United States sprayed between 11 and 12 million gallons of the Agent Orange over a portion of South Vietnam. Some studies estimate that between 2.1 and 4.8 million people were exposed to the chemical. And that there are over 3 million Vietnamese people suffering from health problems directly related to their exposure to dioxin. Dioxin is a chemical found within the Agent Orange.

Citizens of Vietnam are greatly alarmed by these numbers and concerned about the effects of Agent Orange on the environment as well as their people. A number of non-government organizations have stood up to the Vietnamese government and demanding the removal of dioxin from the environment. There are also demands to provide those exposed to the Agent Orange with better health care.

Cleanup Efforts
The Vietnamese government appears to struggle with the importance of the environmental cleanup efforts. Although the issue continues to be discussed, there hasn’t been a great deal of progress. For one reason or another, the cleanup effort has been delayed numerous times. Additionally, the Vietnamese government has requested the assistance of the United States. In the past, the United States has provided help with the Vietnamese cleanup mission in areas of scientific and technical support. But the United States government refused to accept any legal responsibility to provide assistance and believed to question the extent of health problems claimed to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange.

Since 2007, Congress has appropriated 59.5 million dollars for dioxin removal and health care activities in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government and people would like for the United States to do more to help the victims of Agent Orange. However, I believe Monsanto should be involved in the cleanup efforts and should also have to pay a financial settlement to the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange, just as they have done for American victims. After all, Agent Orange was their product and it was their company that marketed it as being harmless.

Resources
Numerous organizations have developed in order to bring awareness to the Agent Orange victims and the environmental concerns regarding dioxin. A respected organization is the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA). VAVA is a self-supported non-profit organization that works to help Agent Orange victim cope with their daily lives and provide Agent Orange clean-up awareness. It has raised over 4 million dollars in contributions and has used some of the funds to organize and establish lawsuits in the United States for compensation for those exposed to Agent Orange. The mission of VAVA has expanded since its’ birth. In addition to encouraging the victims to live a normal life, the personnel are also responsible for managing donations, organizing volunteer activities, and pressing the Vietnamese government for greater cleanup efforts. The number of Agent Orange victims will continue to grow until the cleanup is completed.