VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam is about to publish a map showing all the high-risk sites with unexploded ordnance (UXO) left from the war in an effort to slash the number of victims.

Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh was quoted by VNexpress online as saying that the project is nearly completed.

Vinh said the map will be updated every year.

The map is made in order to reduce casualties caused by UXO and help authorities tackle the problem effectively.

According to surveys, around 6.6 million hectares of land in Vietnam (over 21 percent of the country’s total area) are polluted by 800,000 tons of UXO, except for tons of UXO in the sea.

It is estimated that the US army used more than 15 million tons of UXO during the Vietnam War. Around 5 percent of this volume, equivalent to 800,000 tons is still underground.

During 1975-2000, UXO killed more than 4,000 people and turned over 60,000 others into invalids, mainly working-age people and many children.

Annually, Vietnam spends $100 million to clear UXO, not including expenditures in clearing mines for construction.

However, at the current funding and speed, Vietnam will need up to 300 years to clear the entire area. The country aims to fulfill this mission in less than 100 years.

South Korea is the latest sponsor pledging around $20 million to clear sites in the central provinces of Binh Dinh and Quang Binh.

Le Ha