Group seeks aid for Agent Orange victims in Vietnam

http://africa.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-12/27/content_16060260.htm
The Vietnam-USA Society plans to mobilise more humanitarian aid and prioritise the improvement of healthcare and education, poverty reduction and dealing with the consequences of Agent Orange and war mines.
The society's meeting in Hanoi yesterday also affirmed the need to enlarge society membership with businesses and increase its English centres.
Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations chairman Vu Xuan Hong said he appreciated the society's contribution to developing relations between the Vietnamese people and the US.
The society had worked hard to boost cooperation with American partners, particularly organisations of American veterans, to help trace the remains of Vietnamese soldiers.
So far, with 300 documents provided by American partners, the Vietnamese authorities had located the remains of about 1,000 dead soldiers.
The society had also mobilised its sources to help deal with social problems in poor and remote areas in Vietnam.
During the past six years, non-governmental partners of the society had offered sponsorship of about $8 million for humanitarian activities in Vietnam.
A notable partner was the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which offered 4,400 hearing devices for thousands of Vietnamese hearing-impaired children at a cost of US$2.2 million.
At the meeting, former deputy minister of foreign affairs Nguyen Tam Chien was elected chairman for the next five years.