Activities for supporting UXO victims in Vietnam

Activities for supporting UXO victims in Vietnam (Internet image)

1. What is unexploded ordnance (UXO)?

According to Clause 1, Article 3 of Decree 18/2019/ND-CP, unexploded ordnance (UXO) generally refers to bombs, mines, grenades, torpedoes, explosive remnants, rocket warheads, shells, different types of bullets, primers, explosives and explosive equipment which remain after the war.

2. Activities for supporting UXO victims in Vietnam

Activities for supporting UXO victims according to Article 27 of Decree 18/2019/ND-CP include:

- These victims shall receive healthcare and insurance supports from the State if they have an accident and shall be entitled to the medical insurance policy as specified in the regulations on medical insurance.

- Receive supports for their orthopedic surgeries and rehabilitation treatments.

- Receive supports for educational and vocational trainings and be given jobs.

- Receive supports for livelihood and for using social work services.

- Citizens of UXO-contaminated areas shall receive supports for reclearance and economic development.

- Children of UXO victims shall receive education supports for being poor or near-poor households or having extremely difficult conditions.

3. Rights of UXO victims in Vietnam

The rights of UXO victims under Article 26 of Decree 18/2019/ND-CP are as follows:

- Be supported for their initial healthcare payments, provided with healthcare services and rehabilitation treatment, given educational and vocational trainings, jobs and social protection.

- These victims’ children who are considered as poor and near-poor households or have extremely difficult conditions shall be given scholarships and money for buying school supplies.

- Be entitled to the rights of the disabled.

4. State policies on UXO victims in Vietnam

The State policies on UXO victims according to Article 28 of Decree 18/2019/ND-CP is as follows:

- UXO victims shall be entitled to state policy on the disabled.

- The State shall implement those policies to support the above-mentioned victims in receiving healthcare services, having orthopedic surgeries and rehabilitation treatments; overcoming difficulties, living independently and integrating with the community.

- Prevent and reduce UXO-related accidents.

- Encourage and enable domestic and foreign agencies, organizations, enterprises and individuals to participate in activities for supporting UXO victims; mobilize social resources to contribute in supporting these victims.

5. Disseminating information and educating citizens to prevent UXO-related accidents in Vietnam

Article 25 of Decree 18/2019/ND-CP stipulates the disseminating information and educating citizens to prevent UXO-related accidents as follows:

- Disseminate information and education the citizens to prevent UXO-related accidents, in order to provide knowledge about the weapons thereof, their harmful effects, methods for preventing the above-mentioned accidents, responsibilities of organizations and individuals in preventing such accidents and related regulations.

- The information dissemination and education provision shall be carried out in different forms and shall be appropriate for different entities, including:

+ Via websites of ministries, ministerial agencies, governmental and local agencies and mass media;

+ Develop specialized publications, magazines and brochures which specify the UXO clearance operations and include documents written in ethnic minority language;

+ Organize exhibitions, seminars and trainings to disseminate and educate citizens to prevent UXO-related accidents;

+ Integrate the knowledge of the above-mentioned dissemination and education to the citizenship education programs and the national defense education programs in different classes within the province polluted by UXO;

+ Hold fora to disseminate information about the policies and laws and share information and experience to prevent UXO-related accidents.

Quoc Dat

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