Thousands of objects and documentation related to landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Vietnam are being displayed at the Museum of Army Engineers in Hanoi from March 25-April 5.

The exhibition is organised by the Steering Board for the National Action Programme on Settling Consequences of UXO (Steering Board 504) to mark the International Day for Landmine Awareness (April 4).

Major General Le Phuc Nguyen, Editor-in-Chief of Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) Newspaper, said that UXO are a major social issue in Vietnam, especially in the central provinces, which have suffered the most severe damage.

General Nguyen said that, based on the current UXO clearance progress, it will take Vietnam another 300 years to resolve the post-war consequences of bombs and mines in the country.

However, this time period could be reduced to 70-100 years if the 504 Programme to clear UXO is implemented.

Since 2000, more than 100,000 people have been killed or injured in Vietnam by UXO left over from past wars, most of them the primary breadwinners for their families.

More than 20 percent of Vietnam’s total land area is still contaminated with UXO.

In its plan for the 2010-2025 period, the 504 Programme has gained remarkable achievements so far, including completing the mapping of UXO contaminated areas in 49 out of 63 provinces across the nation and clearing unexploded bombs and mines from thousands of hectares of land each year.