Agent Orange: The Pain Remains

Although he is over 40 years old, Hoang Van Chuong's body (born in 1984, Buon Ma Thuot ward) is still like a 3-year-old child. All personal activities from meals, sleep to hygiene, bathing... are completely dependent on the support of his mother who is over 70 years old.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai, Mr. Chuong's mother, recalled: “In April 1975, my comrades and I marched from Ha Tinh (old) to Dak Lak. During the journey, we stopped in many areas of Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue and Kon Tum provinces... to carry out our mission. There, toxic chemicals had stripped the forests bare, even burning many places black, but at that time no one paid attention to the consequences or later effects. When I got married, had children and watched my children grow up with an incomplete body, I only thought my child was deformed. It was not until I received information about the toxic chemical consequences and the local authorities told me and my child to go for a medical examination that I learned that I had been infected with Agent Orange and had passed it on to my child.”

The pain of Hoang Van Chuong and his mother (Buon Ma Thuot ward) has never subsided due to the consequences of Agent Orange.

Vo Phong Minh (born in 1980, Thanh Nhat ward) also carries the same pain. When he was born, his body was healthy like any other child, but as he grew older, his legs became more and more atrophied and cramped; all his activities gradually slowed down, and his health became weaker and weaker. Unable to walk or talk, Minh's only communication was through nodding or shaking his head. Vo Thi Hong Nhung, Minh's younger sister, shared: "Previously, when he was young, his parents supported and took care of him in all his activities, but the after-effects of Agent Orange have affected my mother's health, she has been bedridden for more than 20 years, my father passed away 3 years ago, so now I have to take care of both my mother and my brother."

For those who fought and lived in areas sprayed with Agent Orange, they have to face a series of serious diseases. But the pain does not stop there, because the after-effects of the poison are passed on to the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many children are born with birth defects and many other diseases...

By the end of 2024, the whole province had over 18,280 people exposed to Agent Orange; of which, over 7,300 victims were resistance fighters and over 1,200 were descendants of resistance fighters, the remaining victims were civilians, their descendants... The total number of Agent Orange victims in the province receiving support from the State was over 9,260 people.

Mr. Vo Phong Minh's (Thanh Nhat ward) mobility depends on his hands.

For families with children with disabilities caused by Agent Orange, they not only bear the physical burden but also have to face mental and economic pressure. Caring for a child with disabilities is a difficult journey. Before knowing that their child was infected with Agent Orange, some families had to sell all their property and land to pay for treatment, but hope is often very fragile. That pain continues, becoming a wound that never heals in the hearts of each family, each victim.

To share that pain, in recent years, the Party and the State have had many policies and regimes for Agent Orange victims; many benefactors inside and outside the province have donated gifts and financial support to these subjects. Along with that, the Provincial People's Committee and the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin at all levels have promoted mobilization work, calling on organizations and individuals to join hands to help Agent Orange victims and their families improve their lives. In particular, in 2024, over 5.3 billion VND was mobilized to support Agent Orange victims through activities such as: Lunar New Year subsidies, production capital support, medical examination and treatment subsidies, visiting and giving gifts, giving wheelchairs, building houses of gratitude, repairing houses, supporting livelihoods, etc.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202508/chat-doc-da-cam-noi-dau-con-do-f79130c/