Thanh Xuan Peace Village
The war in the Vietnam, during the' 60s, beyond the losses of human lives, that involved in the region at that time, continues until today to influence the lives of residents. From 1962 until 1971 American helicopters and planes sprayed roughly 20 million gallons of chemicals, mainly the chemical called “Agent Orange”, in an area that covers the 14% of marshes, rivers and rice-fields of southern Vietnam. This caused an enormous ecological disaster in the environment as well as increase of the percentage of dioxins in the blood of veterans and residents of this region.
Study that was released in 1999 showed that 19 out of 20 people, that had been exposed to the Agent Orange chemical, had 135 times higher levels of dioxins in their blood than normal. The roughly hundred patients of Thanh Xuan hospital in Hanoi are children. When they arrive here, many of them are unable they walk, speak or write. They suffer - among other- with orthopedic problems as well as problems in the spinal cord.
Thanh Xuan Peace Village hospital was founded in 1991 with the economic support of German state. This institution, in which 38 people work, provides roof and education for 92 children and young people, from ages 2 until 22 years old, that suffer from the repercussions of exposure to the “Agent Orange”. Their goal is the welfare of these children and their integration in the society, through the various educational programs as well as their continuous medical support. Closing, as it is marked contact with “Agent Orange” causes cancer, problems in the immunogenic and neurological system in those who come in direct contact with the substance, as well as orthopedic and mental problems in the next generations.
