Clear Landmines to Save Lives in Cambodia

–Ti, a 13 year old student from Trapeang Tav School in Northwest Cambodia, shares what it means to have landmines removed from his school and playground. HALO cleared 30 landmines and 4 explosive items from Trapeang Tav school.

Help clear the remaining landmines in Cambodia so that families can farm and raise their children, like Ti, safely.

Cambodia is one of the countries most heavily–impacted by landmines, with over 64,000 casualties recorded since 1979, including over 25,000 amputees — the highest ratio per capita in the world. Landmine contamination resulted from extensive mine–laying during nearly two decades of fighting that began with Vietnam's ousting of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, and continued until their final demise in 1998.

Landmines prevent development by hindering access to land, water sources, roads, and health services, and imposing financial and emotional hardship on families needing to care for a landmine survivor. More than 80% of the total population live in rural areas, in communities dependent on agriculture — mostly growing rice, cassava, and maize.

HALO Trust was the first organization to respond to Cambodia's landmine problem in 1991, and continues in its pursuit of eliminating all landmines today.

Not only has HALO Trust helped make Cambodia safer by removing 500,000 of the landmines, they also employ over 1,000 local staff working in six provinces to demine fields. Once these fields are demined, they become usable for the large number of people who use land for agriculture in this region.

Thanks to donations like yours 50% of Cambodia's minefields have now been cleared, which has reduced casualty numbers, but landmines still injure and kill innocent people every day, and are a major impediment to the social and economic development of the country.

You can help change that. Your gift will save and improve lives through the removal of landmines in Northwest Cambodia.

Testimonies from Cambodians Who Have Benefited by Demining

"Since HALO's clearance has finished there have been many benefits. We have road access, help from NGO's, I have been given rice seed and water jars. I can also get more land. I am very happy here. I am not afraid at all as there are no more mines to be destroyed where I live." - Touch Rin from Ou Savy village, Otdar Meanchey Province.

The HALO Trust, founded in 1988, is a charity with the mission to lead the effort to protect lives and restore livelihoods threatened by landmines and the deadly debris of war. HALO locates and destroys landmines, cluster bombs, other explosive items and dangerous stockpiles of weapons and ammunition so that some of the world's most vulnerable people can return home, plant their crops, and live in safety. HALO currently employs 7,500 international and local staff in 19 countries and territories around the world, working to get vulnerable communities back on their feet following conflict. They create safe and secure environments, offer opportunities to rebuild lives and livelihoods, and prepare the way for development and long term stability. Millions of families have been able to return to their homes safely thanks to this work, but there is still much to do.