On February 26, information from the Department of Foreign Affairs of Quang Tri province confirmed that the project "Environmental restoration and overcoming the consequences of war" (RENEW) funded through the Norwegian People's aid organization (NPA/Na Uy) and "Bomb search and handling of mines and explosives to minimize risks and support the socio-economic development plan of Quang Tri province for the period 2021-2025" funded through the PeaceTrees VietNam organization (PTVN/Hoa Ky) has resumed operations after a temporary suspension.
Before the two projects resumed operations, the Department of Foreign Affairs received a document from the NPA and PTVN informing about the US State Department's temporary exemption decision for a number of funding packages from the international aid suspension within 90 days.
According to the document, the two cooperation projects in Quang Tri province are subject to temporary exemptions and are allowed to continue implementation. For NPA projects, the operating period is allowed to be implemented within the validity of the current funding package (until April 30, 2025) or until the results of the foreign aid review by the US Government are announced. For PTVN projects, the temporary implementation period is resumed from February 24, 2025 until further notice or until the sponsor's temporary suspension directive ends.
Previously, the US Government requested foreign non-governmental organizations receiving funding from the US Government, including the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), to temporarily suspend operations for 90 days (starting from January 25, 2025) for assessment and review.
In Quang Tri province, the above decision affects important projects, related to the survey and clearance of bombs and mines. These projects are funded by the US State Department through the organizations of the bomb and mine Advisory Group (MAG), NPA, PTVN and a project to support people with disabilities, including orange/dioxin victims - an unrefundable ODA aid source from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The above projects play an important role in overcoming the consequences of war in the province, solving the remaining bomb and mine pollution after the war, helping to clear land for livelihood development, ensuring safety for the community and society. At the same time, the projects have supported people with disabilities, including orange/dioxin victims, to integrate into the community, improve livelihoods, access rehabilitation services...
