Laos

Mine Action

Humanitarian demining Capacity building

Between 2004 and 2010, FSD supported the development of mine action in Laos by combining clearance operations, specialised training and institutional support to national authorities. These efforts contributed to improving food security and strengthening local capacities.

A legacy of the Vietnam War

The massive bombings carried out during the Vietnam War left Laos heavily contaminated with explosive remnants of war. Hundreds of millions of submunitions were dropped across the country, around one-third of which are estimated to have failed to explode on impact. This contamination continues to endanger daily life: more than 20,000 people have been killed or injured since the end of the war, the majority of them children. In rural areas, where communities depend on rice cultivation, explosive ordnance hampers agricultural work and worsens food insecurity.

Our impact in Laos

+8,600

explosive remnants of war destroyed

+1,100,000

m2 of land made safe and returned to communities

Partnerships supporting rural communities

From 2004 to 2010, FSD supported the World Food Programme in rehabilitating rice fields, irrigation systems and fish farms, while clearing key areas for communities in Savannakhet Province. In 2007, in partnership with CARE Australia, FSD conducted clearance operations in the Sekong region as part of a livelihoods improvement project. Alongside its demining work, FSD trained local teams in explosive ordnance disposal, contributed to the development of national standards and helped establish a database for managing clearance operations.

Towards sustainable food security

FSD’s engagement helped improve food security for rural communities by clearing rice fields and making agricultural land safe. It also strengthened the technical and organisational capacities of national actors through the development of training standards aligned with international norms. These efforts enhanced the coordination and quality of demining operations and promoted the sustainable management of explosive hazards by local institutions.