The Bombs That Never Stopped Falling: The Long-Term Consequences of Freezing USAID in Southeast Asia

While families gathered outside to watch fireworks at the end of our block every Fourth of July, my family stayed indoors and watched them on TV. The sharp cracks of the fireworks reminded my parents of the bombings they encountered during the Vietnam War. Growing up as a child of Vietnamese refugees, I heard my parents’ stories of bombs dropping at midnight and families rushing into basements to escape the impact.

It has been fifty years since April 30, 1975, the date marking the end of the Vietnam War. Some Vietnamese remember this date as the Fall of Saigon; others as the end of the American War and the liberation of Vietnam. Yet for my family and many in the Southeast Asian diaspora, April 30, 1975, is not just history—it’s a date with remaining pain, trauma, and unhealed wounds.

For decades, the US has supported demining programs, a comprehensive effort to remove landmines and other explosive remnants of war from an area, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and committed more than $750 million to clearance efforts across Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War and its spillover into Laos and Cambodia, the US dropped millions of tons of bombs. From 1964 to 1973, America dropped nearly two tons of explosives on Laos, 30% of which failed to detonate. Beyond Laos, Vietnam continues to grapple with unexploded bombs as dozens remain littered across large swaths of its countryside. Active bombs have caused tens of thousands of deaths and injuries since the war ended. Similarly, landmines and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in Cambodia have caused more than 65,000 deaths.  

In February 2025, the Trump administration dissolved USAID, freezing millions of dollars of foreign aid. Furthermore, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump Administration to halt $5 billion in foreign aid. According to a  report from The Telegraph, it could take another one hun

dred years to finish clearing the bombings from villages and rice fields. The freezing of USAID funds has impacted the lives of many, as seen with a case in Cambodia where an old grenade killed two toddlers. The tragic reality is that children, kids far younger than me, are still dying from bombs America dropped over half a century ago.

Despite the shutdown of USAID, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continue to conduct on-the-ground work to disarm bombs in Southeast Asia. One of these NGOs is Legacies of War, a nonprofit founded in 2004 to raise awareness about America’s secret bombing campaign in Laos and to advocate for UXO clearance, survivor assistance, and greater US accountability. Their mission is to ensure that the world does not forget the millions of unexploded bombs that still endanger lives across Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Legacies of War has also lobbied the Biden Administration, successfully securing over $75 million in foreign aid assistance for demining across these countries.  As a Vietnamese American, I feel that it is our responsibility to continue supporting NGOs like Legacies of War, which are left fighting to keep America’s promises alive and clean up its mess in Southeast Asia.  

With USAID’s future uncertain, groups like Legacies of War are forced to take on even greater responsibility, stretching limited resources while fighting to keep demining in Southeast Asia a US priority. This debate also comes as governments worldwide are increasing funding towards militarization and weapons. The latest United Nations Secretary-General’s Report on Military Expenditures details global military spending rising to record levels, surpassing $2.7 trillion in 2024. While resources flow easily into missiles, drones, and bombs, communities in Southeast Asia are dealing with the consequences of war from decades ago.

As the son of refugees, this issue deeply affects both me and the greater intergenerational diaspora. My parents fled Vietnam to escape the bombs raining down on their hometowns. Fifty years later, families continue to be displaced by the hidden bombs America left behind. If Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are still suffering the consequences fifty years later, what will post-war recovery look like for Ukraine or Gaza? The bombs may have stopped falling, but our responsibility to those living among them has not.

Photo Credit

Karola G, Pexels License, via Pexels