A/HRC/5/5 page 10 Agent Orange and other herbicides during the Viet Nam War. During this operation, over 70 million litres of defoliants and other herbicides were released over Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia in order to destroy jungle cover and crops.26 A very large number of people, including military personnel from all parties to the conflict as well as between 2.1 and 4.8 million civilians were exposed to these dangerous products during this operation.27 When these herbicides degrade they release dioxins which are linked to numerous health problems. The United States Department of Veteran Affairs lists prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, multiple myeloma, type II diabetes, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, soft tissue sarcoma, chloracne, porphyria cutanea tarda, peripheral neuropathy, and spina bifida in children, as illnesses that can be linked to exposure to Agent Orange.28 Although scientific evidence of association remains insufficient, other adverse effects on human health have been linked to the release of dioxin laden herbicides in South-East Asia. These include several types of cancers, birth defects, stillbirths, infant death as well as reproductive system, cognitive, respiratory and circulatory disorders. In addition to direct exposure to dioxins through spraying, indirect exposure to dioxins is also dangerous as the chemical can build up in the food chain, and people may be exposed to contaminated food and water. 20. Secondly, herbicides have also been used in the course of armed conflict to destroy crops. The objective is to deny sustenance to the adversary or to limit revenue generating activities. The herbicides used often contain toxic products that can, depending on their concentration, affect human health. Moreover, although the objective of such tactics is to limit the enemy’s access to food, it will often also affect crops which are destined for the civilian population. It is indeed rare to find fields exclusively dedicated to growing food for combatants, therefore the destruction of crops can have a negative effect on the survival of the civilian population. More recently herbicides have been used to destroy drug crops in the context of armed conflicts. However, because the herbicides used cannot distinguish between drug crops and other legitimate crops and because of the use of aircraft to disperse the herbicide, which renders the dispersion less precise, fumigation of coca and poppy crops can result in the destruction of nearby agricultural crops, thus limiting access of the population to food. Furthermore, although there are no definitive scientific studies on the potential health impacts of fumigation, continued reports of adverse effects on human health are cause for concern. Medical services in affected regions have reported a rise in low-level poisoning and eye, skin and breathing problems immediately following the fumigation. There are also concerns that drinking water could be contaminated by the chemicals contained in the herbicides used in such operations. Finally, reports suggest that 26 In re Agent Orange Products Liability Litigation, US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 10 March 2005. 27 28 Ibid. United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Agent Orange General Information Brochure, http://www1.va.gov/agentorange/.