VIENTIANE, July 12: The governments of the United States of America and Norway have committed more than US$9.1 million (RM41 million) to the clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in four southern provinces of Laos, reports Laotian Times.
The two governments will use the budget to support survey and clearance operations in Attapeu, Champasak, Saravane, and Sekong provinces.
P. Daniel O’Hara, Head of the Political and Economic Affairs Section and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting the UXO sector, saying
“On behalf of the United States, I thank Norwegian People’s Aid for your extensive survey efforts. To date, NPA has surveyed more than 672 villages in Salavan, Sekong, Attapeu and Champasak provinces.
"These surveys enable humanitarian clearance operators to more accurately and effectively target areas for clearance. This is particularly important as our collective UXO work shifts focus from surveying to clearing high priority Confirmed Hazardous Areas“.
These surveys enable humanitarian clearance operators to more accurately and effectively target areas for clearance, he said. “This is particularly important as our collective UXO work shifts focus from surveying to clearing high priority Confirmed Hazardous Areas.”
An amendment to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) was approved by Laos’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 30 May, signed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare’s National Regulatory Authority for the UXO Sector (NRA) and NPA in Vientiane on 10 June.
The MOU totals do not include donor contributions for costs of certain administration fees, as per Lao government MOU instructions.
Positively, funding from the United States government to support UXO survey and clearance in Lao PDR has increased again in 2022, up from the total funding awarded in 2021.
Under a grant, NPA is receiving USD8,500,000 from the US State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for the period 1 January – 15 February 2023.
Additionally, NPA is receiving NOK 7,000,000 from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NOK 350,000 from Fagforbundet, the Norwegian General Union for Municipal Employees, in 2022.
This increase will enable NPA to continue to expand its survey and clearance operations across southern provinces.
This will accelerate the pace of vital life-saving work to remove the threat of cluster munitions and other UXO and bring socio-economic benefits to thousands of families in hundreds of villages.
The increased US funding is also providing job opportunities and employment for over 430 people in NPA’s areas of operations and its support functions. - Laotian Times
