Quang Tri resumes effort to address war aftermath

According to the Quang Tri Department of Foreign Affairs, two bomb and mine clearance projects in the province—Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTVN)—resumed operations on February 24 after a temporary suspension caused by the U.S. government’s halt on international aid funding.

“Since February 24, workers from both NPA and PeaceTrees Vietnam have returned to work. For now, we can only confirm that these projects have resumed, but the duration of their operations will depend on the organizations' internal evaluations,” said Thai Huu Lieu, Deputy Director of the Quang Tri Department of Foreign Affairs.

NPA employs approximately 250 workers, while PeaceTrees Vietnam has over 200. The resumption of these projects is welcome news for both local workers and government authorities. Over the years, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), funded primarily by the US Department of State, have played a vital role in reducing the risk of unexploded ordnance (UXO), clearing land for development, and ensuring community safety in Quang Tri.

The suspension followed a directive from the US government, requiring all international NGOs receiving U.S. government funding—through the State Department or the US Agency for International Development (USAID)—to pause their activities for 90 days starting January 25, 2025. This global directive also affected ongoing projects in Quang Tri.

In Quang Tri, the suspension impacted several US-funded projects related to bomb and mine clearance, including those led by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), NPA, PeaceTrees Vietnam, and a USAID-funded project supporting individuals with disabilities and victims of Agent Orange/dioxin. The pause affected more than 1,000 local workers involved in these initiatives.

Recognizing the significance of these projects, on February 19, Hoang Nam, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee and Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for War Consequences Mitigation, sent a letter to Marc E. Knapper, the US Ambassador to Vietnam. In the letter, Nam urged the Ambassador to recommend that the US State Department either exempt the projects from the suspension or shorten the review period, allowing assessments and project implementation to proceed concurrently.

Nam emphasized that continued funding is essential not only for overcoming the remnants of war but also for ensuring community safety and promoting sustainable socio-economic development in Quang Tri.

Additionally, the provincial government submitted a formal report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requesting diplomatic engagement with the US government. The province urged US partners to consider allowing the continuation of these aid programs during the review process, in line with the project approvals previously granted by the Vietnamese Prime Minister.

Quang Hai - Ngoc Mai