5,000 join charity walk for AO/dioxin victims in HCM City

A charity walk for Agent Orange/dioxin victims was held at Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City on August 12, with 5,000 people taking part.

The event was held by the municipal chapter of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) on the occasion of the Action Month for AO/dioxin victims and the 62nd anniversary of the dioxin disaster in Vietnam (August 10).

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Major General Tran Ngoc Tho, Chairman of the chapter, said since its inception in 2005, the chapter has carried out many charity programmes to mobilise funds tfor AO/dioxin victims.

It raised nearly 8.5 billion VND (356,500 USD) and supported a total of 8,783 AO victims in the first six months of this year, Tho said, adding that the city is now home to over 20,000 people infected with and exposed to the toxic chemical. Only over 5,000 of them who joined the war and their children are eligible to receive monthly allowances.

On the occasion, the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development presented 20 savings books, each worth 10 million VND, to 20 households with AO victims.

Disabled children at Hoa Binh Village and Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City also received gifts from the organising board.