Agent Orange cleanup, efforts critical to ties with Vietnam jeopardized by USAID cuts

At a former American air base in southern Vietnam, efforts to clean up soil contaminated with deadly dioxin from Agent Orange were abruptly halted due to Trump administration cuts to USAID, which also affected unexploded munitions and landmines clearance, war victim rehabilitation, and museum exhibit projects. The cuts risk undermining diplomatic gains with Vietnam, impacting strategic relations amid growing regional tensions with China. While funding for the Agent Orange cleanup at Bien Hoa Air Base was eventually unfrozen, ongoing uncertainty remains over the future of aid programs, highlighting concerns over the administration’s foreign assistance policies.

Full Article