Charity
European Overseas Vietnamese help AO victims
  • | VNA | July 27, 2011 04:16 PM

The Vietnamese community in Great Britain, Italy and Germany raised almost USD8,000 on July 25 for Agent Orange/dioxin victims in the homeland.

In the UK , the Vietnamese embassy joined with the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society (BVFS) and the British non-governmental organisation Medical and Scientific Aid for Vietnam in holding a fundraiser as part of a material and justice campaign to alleviate the plight of AO victims.

The event, drawing crowds of overseas Vietnamese, collected 4,100 GBP (roughly USD6,860).

BVFS President Len Aldis recalled his 20 years of Vietnam experiences in the aftermath of the toxic chemical and its devastating impacts on locals of all ages.

The BVFS President said he had sent letters to US chemical companies that sold products for the US military to dump on southern Vietnam during the American war, demanding they accept responsibility and pay compensation, said Aldis.

For his part, Peter Lacy, President of the Medical and Scientific Aid for Vietnam Organisation said the suffering of AO victims, which he witnessed at the first hand during his fieldtrips to former frontiers in Vietnam, have touched his heart.

The British activist said that his organisation would continue with fundraising for the victims.

In Italy , Vietnamese diplomatic staff voluntarily contributed one day of their salary, worth over USD1,000, on the first day of a campaign in support of AO victims launched by the Vietnamese Embassy.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Khanh Thoai called for strong assistance from the Vietnamese community in Italy in response to the Vietnam Agent Orange /dioxin Victims Association appeal.

The Vietnamese-owned Thang Long Company in Germany also launched a fundraiser among its staff, including foreign workers, to help AO victims.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany unveiled a plan to launch a fundraising festival in support of AO victims on July 31.

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