Laos: New Data on Agent Orange Use during the US’s Secret War in Laos

Oct 7, 2024 | Philipp Barthelme
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During the Vietnam War, the US military sprayed more than 74 million litres of Agent Orange and other herbicides, causing detrimental and ongoing environmental and health effects that are thought to have affected millions of Vietnamese people, as well as American military personnel. However, many questions remain over the extent and impact of the spraying during the American Secret War in neighbouring Laos. Unlike in Vietnam, Laotians affected by the herbicide spraying have received little to no support in the past, despite recent surveys indicating that thousands could still be affected by congenital birth defects associated with Agent Orange exposure.