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Legacy of Agent Orange haunts Vietnam, 50 years on from Fall of Saigon

In this April 29, 1975 photo, Vietnamese people scale the wall of the US Embassy in Saigon, trying to get to the helicopter pickup zone, just before the end of the Vietnam War
In this April 29, 1975 photo, Vietnamese people scale the wall of the US Embassy in Saigon, trying to get to the helicopter pickup zone, just before the end of the Vietnam War (AP)
  • Fifty years on from the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, millions of Vietnamese people are still suffering from disabilities and health problems linked to Agent Orange exposure.
  • The US used millions of litres of Agent Orange, a dioxin-contaminated herbicide, during the war, causing widespread environmental damage and health issues.
  • While the US has provided financial assistance for cleanup efforts and disability support, proposed cuts to aid programmes by the Trump administration threaten these programmes.
  • A massive cleanup effort is underway, but heavily contaminated sites like Da Nang airbase still pose a risk, and the long-term health impacts remain uncertain.
  • Halting cleanup efforts could further contaminate waterways and harm more people, jeopardising years of progress and trust between the US and Vietnam, experts say.
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