The ongoing freeze of US foreign assistance is forcing the suspension of operations to clear unexploded ordnance in Vietnam, Laos and elsewhere. The US military dropped numerous bombs in those areas during the Vietnam War.
The US State Department and its affiliate USAID have temporarily halted nearly all of their overseas aid programs since President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month for a 90-day pause for reviews.
A British non-governmental organization, MAG, engages in large-scale projects to eliminate duds and nurture personnel in Vietnam and elsewhere. But it says it has suspended many of its operations as US funding has stalled.
A Laotian government agency also told NHK that it had paused all its operations to remove unexploded munitions.
The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago. But ordnance left from the conflict is still causing casualties.
A Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesperson sought the resumption of US aid at a news conference on Thursday.
The official said freezing dud-clearing projects supported by USAID would strongly impact the safety of people, as well as the environment where work had been underway.
The US State Department and its affiliate USAID have temporarily halted nearly all of their overseas aid programs since President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month for a 90-day pause for reviews.
A British non-governmental organization, MAG, engages in large-scale projects to eliminate duds and nurture personnel in Vietnam and elsewhere. But it says it has suspended many of its operations as US funding has stalled.
A Laotian government agency also told NHK that it had paused all its operations to remove unexploded munitions.
The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago. But ordnance left from the conflict is still causing casualties.
A Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesperson sought the resumption of US aid at a news conference on Thursday.
The official said freezing dud-clearing projects supported by USAID would strongly impact the safety of people, as well as the environment where work had been underway.
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Summary
US foreign aid suspension due to review halted operations for unexploded ordnance clearance in Vietnam, Laos, and other areas. This aid was crucial for organizations like MAG and Laotian government agencies dealing with ordnance from the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago but still
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ID: 97891b7e-c0f9-4b2e-ab45-bcf8923c0279
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250214_04/
Date: Feb. 14, 2025
Created: 2025/02/14 07:00
Updated: 2025/12/08 06:15
Last Read: 2025/02/14 08:34