For years, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has been focusing its persons with disabilities assistance in eight provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange in the southern and central parts of Vietnam. On April 25, USAID expanded this through the launch of the Disabilities Rights, Enforcement, Coordination, and Therapies project (DIRECT) in Ca Mau, a province in the Mekong Delta. It was first announced during President Biden’s September 2023 visit to Vietnam that the United States would expand its persons with disabilities program into two new provinces, Bac Lieu and now Ca Mau, bringing the total number of supported provinces to 10. The project supports the enforcement of disability laws, expansion of rehabilitation services and livelihood support to persons with disabilities, and improvement in early childhood disability detection. The $1.2 million project in Ca Mau is implemented by long-time USAID partner, Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped, and runs through October 2025.
Our cooperation to overcome the legacies of war has been foundational for building trust, demonstrating our commitment, and advancing the relationship between the United States and Vietnam to what is now a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.