Ireland provides €500,000 for UXO clearance in Laos

More than 50 years since the end of the war, Lao farmers and children are still being killed or injured by unexploded bombs. Extensive UXO contamination continues to pose a risk to the livelihoods, socio-economic development, and quality of life of those living in affected communities. - The HALO Trust

VIENTIANE: Ireland, through its Embassy in Hanoi, has announced funding of €500,000 (US$581,125) to support the HALO Trust’s demining and bomb disposal work in Laos over the next 12 months. The announcement was made during a meeting in Vientiane on March 3.

The renewed funding will allow for the clearance of at least 550,000 square metres of high-priority unexploded ordnance (UXO) contaminated land in and around some of the most bombing-affected villages in Xepon and Vilabouly districts of Savannakhet province.