In Da Nang, Vietnam, the ramifications of the Vietnam War, which concluded on April 30, 1975, linger predominantly in the form of a toxic legacy. Millions of individuals, like 34-year-old Nguyen Thanh Hai, are living with disabilities attributed to Agent Orange, a powerful defoliant used extensively by U.S. forces during the war to eliminate enemy cover. Sprayed in volumes exceeding 72 million liters (19 million gallons), more than half of this was Agent Orange, contaminated with dioxin, a chemical associated with severe health risks such as cancer and birth defects.
In areas like Da Nang, where the remnants of this chemical have seeped into the environment for decades, this dioxin continues to impact human health profoundly. Hai, born with developmental challenges, faces daily struggles to perform basic tasks, a poignant reminder of the lasting effects of the defoliant on affected communities. Vietnam still faces the massive challenge of dealing with the contaminated sites left over from wartime, many of which are known as dioxin hotspots.
Determining the exact extent of Agent Orange’s impact on subsequent generations and human health remains scientifically unresolved, with Vietnam focusing mainly on environmental decontamination. Charles Bailey, co-author of “From Enemies to Partners: Vietnam, the U.S., and Agent Orange,” emphasizes that the causality science is incomplete, complicating efforts to gauge the full scope of this toxic aftermath.
In the post-war era, contamination devastated Vietnam’s environment, destroying nearly half of its mangrove trees and significantly damaging its tropical forest. This ecological impact further exposed the country’s coastline to natural disasters and depleted soil nutrients critical for climate-resistant agriculture. Meanwhile, the country grapples with the enduring health issues afflicting over 3 million people exposed to Agent Orange.
Despite these challenges, Vietnam has made efforts to alleviate the burdens on affected families, often cooperating with U.S.-backed initiatives. The U.S., recognizing some war veterans’ related diseases in 1991, began providing assistance and has since spent $155 million to aid disability-affected populations. Yet, cleaning dioxin-contaminated areas often proves costly and hazardous, involving complex processes like unearthed soil heating to detoxify the environment.
In Da Nang, the U.S. completed a significant portion of the cleanup by 2018, but problematic areas persist, and doubts grow amid concerns for future support. As President Donald Trump reduced foreign aid allocations, the Vietnamese, including affected individuals like Nguyen Van An, chairman of the Association for Victims of Agent Orange in Da Nang, worry over continuing U.S. commitment.
Interruptions in these essential projects not only threaten the ongoing contamination management but also pose immediate risks of widened human exposure. A cleanup initiative at Bien Hoa airbase, launched in 2020 to address 500,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil, experienced brief halts and remained uncertain.
Former allies remain committed to supporting these cleanup efforts. Advocates like retired Sen. Patrick Leahy’s former aide, Tim Rieser, stress the importance of these programs to U.S.-Vietnam relations, especially as bilateral ties have deepened in recent years. However, funding challenges persist amid political changes in Washington. Despite these concerns, the U.S. State Department reassured active continuation of vital remediation projects and committed to assessing future requirements.
Chuck Searcy, an American Vietnam War veteran contributing to humanitarian efforts in Vietnam, fears that lost funding and support could undo decades of trust. Programs addressing war-related devastations afforded significant benefits to individuals enduring the war’s legacy. Searcy highlights that withholding aid jeopardizes the lives of innocent victims already twice burdened by past conflict and the recent uncertainty of assistance.