Chemical weapons victims are commemorated today all over the world. The first time they were used was during WWI. But the scariest actions were those by US in Vietnam. Washington, who's been trying to accuse Syrian authorities of using chemicals for several years, poured over 21 million gallons of chemicals on Vietnam. That includes the so-called Agent Orange. Anton Lyadov is reporting from Vietnam on the horrible consequences of this attack, that still take place.

You can see how his feet are. He can't really move. His name is Zung, he's always cold. He's under a warm blanket day and night. Spots on his head, bent fingers. His legs are withering away, skin, layer by layer, is coming off. Doctors say it's just the beginning. Zung has been sick since the day he was born, for 40 years. They feed him 3 times a day. They usually feed him porridge, sometimes rice, if he's better.

The Center's employees feed and wash him. He cannot do anything himself. We don't know if they feel anything. But we still turn on TV and other sounds. Babies with no eyes, instead of eyes — concrescent skin. Adults have weird black crust all over their bodies. They're covered with growths, which makes it hard to find clothes that fit. Kids with covered fists, so they don't scratch their faces. Some can only calm down in a specific pose.





After half a century of US spreading chemicals over Vietnam there are still 2-4 persons per room in rehab centers. Chao says she's lucky. She can not only walk, but dance. Doctors don't really know what she hears though. There are 5 kids in my family. I have 2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers. My sisters beat me up sometimes. In reality, Chao has only 1 brother. But if you tell her, she gets angry. Even our translator couldn't handle it. My heart hurts, I never want there to be war again. We have over 3 million people, who have been contaminated. These numbers, they are... they aren't final, they may grow.

People suffer from chemicals in the 4th generation. These are the kids of people, who were attacked by Agent Orange. Here we have twins, they were born conjoined. On the left there's a baby with a deformed head. Over the entire war, US spread about 21 million gallons of chemicals over Vietnam. There are still zones in Vietnam, where locals aren't recommended to go. Poison sometimes even destroyed tree stumps. These industrial zones are out of public access now.

In 1961 President John Kennedy sanctioned the use of chemicals to destroy vegetation in South Vietnam. They sprayed from planes and helicopters. The goal was not to let the Vietnamese to hide in the jungle.

The most toxic substance was Agent Orange. It got its name from the orange color of the barrels it was transported in. Locals also say the woods were napalmed. South Vietnamese pilots, with the support of US, dropped death onto civilians. Phan Thi Kim Phuc remembers it well. She was 9. She's the girl from the picture. The picture that shocked the world. I saw the fire on my left arm. I tried to put it out. I have a huge scar. I still remember what I was thinking at that moment. "Oh, God, it will scar, I'll be ugly". I remember one soldier shared his water with me. He tried to help, pouring water all over my body. I fainted. Turns out, if you pour water on a burn, it hurts more.

US Congress hadn't admitted for years that they sprayed defoliants. Eventually they started paying to fight with the consequences. But it's obviously not enough. Our center still receives no financial aid or any other aid from any organizations. We only get paid from the Vietnam government authorities. I think Americans must suffer the consequences of this problem. It's too late to fix anything. For many people it's too late, since they're close to death. Before they die they worry that their kids might suffer from this.

The most terrifying consequence of the US chemical attack is that even if mother and father didn't have any defects, their children and even grandchildren might have them. So it's impossible to predict how the number of 3 million Vietnamese victims will grow.