Vietnam to aid toxic chemical victims HANOI - Victims of toxic chemicals sprayed by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War will start receiving monthly allowances from the government, an official at the labor ministry said Thursday. The decision, signed Wednesday by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and retroactive to Jan. 1, applies to government workers, soldiers and volunteers working or fighting in areas sprayed in August 1961-April 1975 and their disabled children, he said. The monthly allowances range from $3.40 for those who are disabled but can still manage a normal life to $7 for those suffering from serious illness and incapable of working, he said. While that does not sound like much, the country's per-capita gross domestic product is only about $370, and many victims say they have been getting no help from the government. The official said a survey of victims of toxic chemicals used by U.S. forces during the war was completed late last year, but the results have not been released yet. Defoliants - including Agent Orange which contains highly toxic dioxin - were sprayed over central and southern Vietnam to eliminate cover for the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army. Washington and Hanoi have been talking about an agreement that would allow the two countries to share research on the effects of the defoliants. Associated Press - February 24, 2000.