The Peace Trees Viet Nam (PTVN) non-government organisation received de-mining equipment from Australian donors in Dong Ha city, Quang Tri Province this morning, April 16.

The donated equipment, which included 19 de-mining aprons and two trauma kits valued at US$60,000 will be used by PTVN's Exploded Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams working in Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces.

"The equipment is very important for us in efforts to clear landmines and unexploded ordinance left over from the war in the central provinces," said PTVN's country-representative Le Dinh Quang.

As scheduled, donors will also visit land mine victims, EOD teams and witness work on removing unexploded ordinance in the rural mountainous village of A Xinh in Huong Hoa District today.

Established in Viet Nam in 1995, the US-based PTVN is the first ever American organisation to be granted permission by the government to search for landmines, bombs and other unexploded ordinance left from the American war throughout Quang Tri Province.

PTVN has found 106,513 pieces of unexploded ordnance and cleared 163ha of land contaminated by landmines.

Over 65,000 people, including 17,500 children, have received landmines awareness education at PTVN's Danaan Parry Landmine Education Centre in Dong Ha town.

Source: VNS