Operation Ranch Hand Dioxin Legacy

During the Vietnam War, the United States carried out Operation Ranch Hand, spraying nearly 20 million gallons of chemical herbicides and defoliants across large areas of Vietnam. The program aimed to strip away vegetation, but the chemicals lingered in the environment long after the spraying ended. Their longstanding effects led to approximately 400,000 deaths in Vietnam. At least 500,000 children were born with congenital disorders linked to this exposure.

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