The legacy of Agent Orange: empirical evidence from central Vietnam

This paper seeks to provide a socio-economic impact assessment for Vietnamese victims of the principal US military herbicide, Agent Orange, used during the Vietnam War in the period 1961-71. The study is based on a field survey of 30 affected and 30 unaffected households in Quang Tri province. With this assessment, the paper attempts to address the broader issues of compensation currently available to victims. The coverage and composition of current benefits are deemed inadequate as an effective redress. In view of this, revision of current compensation, the mobilization of an international donor fund and spurred non-governmental support is strongly recommended.