A ceremony was held on May 23 to launch mine clearance activities for the Korea-Vietnam Peace Village Project in the three central coastal provinces of Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh.

The project launch ceremony on May 23. Photo courtesy of UNDP Vietnam.

The project is a joint effort of the Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Through the project, stakeholders aim to clear unexploded ordnance in the three provinces, build peace villages and safer living conditions for people, and provide more support for people with disabilities.

They expect to survey 15,000 hectares of land and clear 6,000 hectares of unexploded ordnance by the end of 2026. The parties will also develop climate-resilient facilities and farming activities for residents.

According to Lee Byung Hwa, Director of KOICA Vietnam, the project is the organization's largest activity in mine detection and clearance and peace village development.

The launching of the project strengthened the relations between VNMAC, KOICA, and UNDP, and highlighted their partnerships with provincial governments to minimize post-war bomb effects, said Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam.

The UN official commended Vietnam's central and provincial governments for their efforts to contribute to the peaceful development of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

The project is the next phase of the ongoing Korea-Vietnam Mine Action Project, which has been underway since 2018.

Between 2018 and 2021, the project surveyed approximately 17,000 hectares of land and safely removed unexploded ordnance  (UXO) from 10,000 hectares of land.

The project also reached out to 450,000 residents in the provinces of Quang Binh and Binh Dinh to spread the word about safety rules.

Project staff also conducted health screenings for more than 1,000 UXO victims. More than 174 victims, including children, underwent surgery and received free prosthetic limbs.

Since 1975, UXO has claimed more than 40,000 lives and injured 60,000 others. The central provinces of Quang Binh, Binh Dinh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, and Quang Ngai reported nearly 23,000 victims of bombs and mines, including more than 10,000 died of explosive weapons.

Addressing war remnants costs the government’s efforts to become an important, urgent, and long-term mission to protect civilians and boost socio-economic development.