Ninh Binh accelerates housing support for 326 families of Agent Orange victims

The initiative is aimed not only at helping affected families stabilise their lives and secure safer living conditions, but also at expressing gratitude and upholding the Vietnamese tradition of “remembering the source of the water we drink.”

After years of living in a deteriorating house, 84-year-old Bach Van Huan, a member of the Veterans Association in Coi hamlet, An Binh village, Binh Son commune, could hardly hide his joy as his new home neared completion.

The prospect of moving into a safe and sturdy house has brought peace of mind to Huan and his family, particularly when the rainy and stormy season is approaching. His children and grandchildren will also feel more secure knowing that their elderly family member has a safer place to live.

The house is being built through the joint efforts of local authorities, mass organisations, businesses, benefactors and local residents.

According to Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Binh Son commune, the locality has mobilised approximately 150 million VND, along with numerous labour days, to support Huan’s family. Officials, veterans, youth union members and local residents have directly helped transport construction materials and take part in the building work, helping accelerate the project.

The joy of having a new or renovated home is also reaching many other policy-beneficiary families across the province.

In line with the Government’s programme to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing for biological children of people who took part in the resistance war and were exposed to toxic chemicals, the Ninh Binh Provincial People’s Committee has approved a list of 326 households eligible for housing assistance.

Of these, 158 households will receive support to build new homes, while 168 will receive assistance to repair existing houses. The total funding exceeds 14.5 billion VND and is sourced from the “For the Poor” Fund.

Each household building a new home will receive 60 million VND, while those repairing their homes will receive 30 million VND.

To ensure the projects remain on schedule, the Provincial Military Command has coordinated with relevant departments, agencies and local authorities to establish working teams to provide direct assistance to families during the construction and repair of their homes.

As of mid-July 2026, 46 houses had been completed across the province, including nine newly built homes and 37 repaired houses. The participating forces had contributed more than 1,225 labour days, in addition to mobilising construction materials and essential equipment from various sources.

Nguyen Van Hong, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Binh Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, said the Provincial People’s Committee’s Decision No. 1644/QD-UBND, approving the list of beneficiaries eligible for housing assistance, was a practical measure that would help many policy-beneficiary families improve their living conditions, stabilise their lives and feel more secure in their homes.

However, implementation remains challenging in some localities due to the limited financial capacity of beneficiary households, rising construction costs and unfavorable weather conditions at certain times.

Against this backdrop, support from organisations, businesses, benefactors and local residents remains crucial, alongside the provincial funding, to help accelerate construction and ensure the houses are completed as soon as possible./.