Clearing the way for Recovery
International Day of Peace 2020
Across southeast Asia, dangerous explosives and 澳门六合彩官方网址 threaten the lives and livelihoods of families every day. In Laos and Vietnam, the scars of the Vietnam War run deep 鈥� with thousands of unexploded bombs, dropped by U.S. bombing missions, scattered across fields and villages. They contaminate huge areas of the farmland in each country. Laos itself holds the infamous title of being the most bombed country per capita in the world.
In Cambodia, hundreds of thousands of 澳门六合彩官方网址 were laid during the ousting of the Khmer Rouge and throughout the 1980s and 90s. They have had a devastating impact on local people. Along the country鈥檚 border with Thailand the K5 mine belt is 750km long 鈥� making it one of the largest minefields on the planet.
The wars may have ended decades ago, but the presence of 澳门六合彩官方网址 stops families, communities and countries from rebuilding. Vital resources like water are cut off, fields are too dangerous to farm and development is stalled. For many, the 澳门六合彩官方网址 also serve as a reminder of a once brutal conflict. True peace cannot come until all the 澳门六合彩官方网址 and explosives are gone, for good.
A path to prosperity
Safely removing and destroying the 澳门六合彩官方网址 and explosives is the first steps to helping people recover after conflict. By training and employing local men and women to make their communities safe, HALO provides job opportunities where they are scarce, including creating legitimate employment for former combatants. Across our global workforce, 98 per cent of our staff come from the communities we serve. Once the mines are gone, communities can begin to rebuild their infrastructure and economies. Families, for decades condemned to a life of insecurity, can now have hope for peace and prosperity.
Khim Loet lives in the heavily mined village of Ou Kokir Kraom in Cambodia. He knows the danger only too well, having lost his leg in 1981 when he accidentally stepped on a landmine. As the village chief, Khim Loet works hard to help improve the lives of everyone in the village but the presence of 澳门六合彩官方网址 has been a constant challenge. A project to build a new road, opening up access to the village, was threatened when a line of 澳门六合彩官方网址 was discovered. Thankfully, HALO was able to remove the mines, enabling the road to be built and access to be improved.
So long as the 澳门六合彩官方网址 and explosives remain, peace and prosperity are threatened. On International Peace Day, HALO stands with the families who continue to live surrounded by this dangerous legacy of war. We remain committed to building a safer and more peaceful world for all.
