Mines Advisory Group Vietnam’s 25-year journey marked in Quảng Trị

Mine clearance techniques introduced at the event. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG TRỊ — The Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a humanitarian non-government organisation that helps clear explosive ramnants of war, held a ceremony in Đông Hà city, the central province of Quảng Trị on March 15 to mark its 25th year of operation in Việt Nam.

Established in the UK in 1989, MAG has worked to bring safety and opportunities to rebuild life and develop livelihoods and future for tens of millions of people in war-affected areas of more than 70 countries.

In 1999, MAG arrived in Việt Nam and set up its first office in Quảng Tri, the most severely contaminated place for bombs and mines in Việt Nam. It expanded its operation in Quảng Bình in 2003 then Quảng Nam in 2012.

Over the past 25 years, MAG has cleared almost 180 million square metres of land, and destroyed more than 230,000 explosives of various kinds, helping bring safety to nearly 700,000 residents. Besides, it has built schools, medical stations, roads and resettlement areas while carrying out over 1,000 communications activities to raise public awareness of measures to prevent bomb and mine accidents.

At the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoàng Nam spoke highly of the contributions by MAG, expressing his hope that MAG and other action operators will continue support for the province to recover post-war consequences and develop the socio-economy sustainably.

Quảng Trị is striving to become the first Vietnamese locality that lives safely with bombs and mines left over from wars, he added.

On the occasion, MAG received certificates of merit from the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation and the Chairman of the Quảng Trị provincial People’s Committee for its contributions to Việt Nam’s socio-economic development during 1999-2024, and post-war recovery in Quảng Tri province. — VNS