Agent Orange | 02 May 2025

Source: IE 

30th April 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War's end (1954–75). However, millions of Vietnamese still suffer the lasting effects of Agent Orange, a toxic chemical used by the US during the war. 

• Agent Orange: A Blend of herbicides used to defoliate trees and shrubs, depriving enemy troops of cover.  
  • It was composed of two herbicides (2,4-D and 2,4,5-T)—mixed with the highly toxic contaminant dioxin. 
  • Dioxin has a half-life of up to 20 years in the human body and can persist in soil and water for up to 100 years, causing long-term contamination. 
    • In radioactivity, half-life is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay. 
• Impacts: 
  • Health issues– birth defects, cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders. 
  • Areas sprayed with the chemical were unfit for agriculture for years, severely damaging wildlife, soil quality, and disrupting livelihoods, with long-lasting impacts on ecosystems. 
• Vietnam War: It was a conflict between communist North Vietnam (Saigon), led by Ho Chi Minh, and South Vietnam’s government, supported by the US.  
  • It was part of the broader Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, with North Vietnam backed by communist allies (Soviet Union and China).