Hüseyin Dogru | Aug 10,2026
Today, we remember Operation Ranch Hand, initiated by the US in 1962.
This operation mirrored practices previously employed by the British military during the ‘Malayan Emergency’. The program entailed the spraying of 19 million gallons of defoliants and herbicides over rural South Vietnam. Its aim was to deny the North Vietnamese guerrillas, known as the Vietcong, access to food and concealment provided by vegetation.The US Air Force conducted over 20,000 sorties from 1962 to 1971. Among the chemicals used was the infamous Agent Orange.
The Vietnamese government estimates that approximately 4.8 million people were exposed to Agent Orange, leading to 400,000 deaths from cancers and other conditions. Three million Vietnamese experienced health complications due to the program, and 150,000 children were born with serious birth defects. The Vietnamese Red Cross asserts that up to 1 million individuals were disabled or developed health issues after coming into contact with Agent Orange.
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