PeaceTrees Vietnam (PeaceTrees) has formed a partnership with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) to establish and fund an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team in Quang Binh Province.
The partnership between PeaceTrees and VVMF will extend over the next year, with VVMF pledging more than $280,000 to fund EOD teams that will be assembled and supervised by PeaceTrees. VVMF is using funding provided by the Congress for this project.
Quang Binh Province is one of the most heavily impacted areas in Vietnam, second to Quang Tri Province, where PeaceTrees has been engaged in mine action work for the past 15 years. Quang Binh was heavily bombarded during the war, causing serious injury to individuals and damage to properties. Many types of unexploded ordnance (UXO), including cluster bombs, are scattered in large numbers around the province, mostly on or near the surface.
Today, UXO remains a constant threat to people and livestock.
Founded in 1995, PeaceTrees Vietnam is a humanitarian organization dedicated to healing communities affected by war. Its vision is to create a safe and healthy future for the children and families of Central Vietnam through demining, mine risk education, survivor assistance, citizen diplomacy trips, and community building projects.
Established in 1979, VVMF is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., promoting healing, and educating people about the impact of the Vietnam War. ♦
For more information, visit www.peacetreesvietnam.org.