Around half of Cambodia’s minefields have been cleared and those remaining are largely concentrated in the rural north-west of the country, especially along the Thai border on a 750km mined area known as the K5. As the population expands, families have little choice but to move onto mined land, placing themselves at risk.
The HALO Trust (Hazardous Area Life-support Organization) is a non-political and non-religious registered British charity and American non-profit organization which removes debris left behind by war, in particular land mines. HALO’s global headquarters are located in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. HALO has US offices located in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California.
HALO Trust Cambodia employ around 1,000 men and women from mine affected areas in Cambodia to work in minefields all along the Thai border from Koh Kong to Preah Vihear, and also in the south eastern province of Tboung Khmum. The teams clear hundreds of landmines every month.
The organization also responds to a huge number of calls from people elsewhere in the country who have found dangerous explosives that need to be destroyed safely. The threat to the people of Cambodia—from landmines and other dangerous debris left after the war—is extremely high. Children who walk to school right next to a minefield, are particularly vulnerable because of their innate curiosity, so HALO Trust Cambodia risk education visits to communities and schools are vital.
According to halotrust.org
