Laos
More than 50 years after the first U.S. bombings during the war in Vietnam, Laos remains one of the countries most heavily contaminated by cluster munitions on the planet. This has had dramatic consequences: since 1964, more than 50,000 people have been killed or injured by these devices.
Known number of victims as of late 2013. Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, updated in June 2015.
Clearance operations in Houaphan Province in the north of the country. - Humanity & Inclusion Laos | © N. Lozano Juez / HI
Our actions
HI is working to reduce the threat posed by cluster munitions and all explosive remnants of war in Laos.
Our teams of disposal operations work alongside villagers affected by the presence of these weapons. They clear the land, destroy the devices, and educate the local community about the dangers they pose.
At the same time, HI runs development projects aimed at reducing the risk of disability and improving the social inclusion of people with disabilities. It also focuses on preventing disability in children under the age of 5. HI promotes the identification of disability, carries out disability awareness activities, and organizes infant stimulation sessions. HI also aims to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS and diseases such as malaria among women, children, and adolescents.
In several provinces, HI also aims to improve access to education for disadvantaged children and reading skills for all children, with a particular focus on non-Lao speaking children and those with disabilities.
Finally, HI is working to improve care for people in need of rehabilitation. Our teams work with government agencies to develop the country's rehabilitation sector and provide training for professionals working in the field.
Areas of intervention
Latest stories
Humanity & Inclusion Partners with ARTICLE22 to Support Mine Action Through Jewelry Sales
Humanity & Inclusion (HI) partners with ARTICLE22 to turn war remnants into handcrafted jewelry, with a portion of sales supporting mine action, explosive ordnance clearance, and survivor assistance.
HI clears over 64 acres of Laos farmland of deadly munitions
HI clears in Houaphanh Province - one bomb at a time.
In Laos, HI is accompanying 200 children with autism on the road to education
HI is supporting the inclusion of children with developmental disabilities, including autism, in the provinces of Champasak and Houaphan.
a life
Background
For more than 50 years, Laos has been living with the daily threat of cluster munitions, which is hindering the development of the country. Laos is considered to be one of the poorest countries on the planet.
The People’s Democratic Republic of Laos has a highest level of contamination from explosive remnants of war. Out of the 17 provinces in Laos, 15 are contaminated by some 80 million unexploded devices, for the most part cluster munitions dropped 55 years ago by the United States during the Vietnam War. They still strike terror into the hearts of the country’s citizens, killing and maiming indiscriminately. Since 1964, more than 50,000 people have been killed or injured by an accident caused by explosive remnants of war, almost half of them in peace time. Despite a fall in the number of victims over the past five years, there are still new casualties every year.
Laos is facing significant challenges, in particular the need to reduce the country’s high level of malnutrition. Access to health facilities in rural areas remains very limited and health workers lack both skills and training.
Number of HI staff members: 82
Date the program opened: 1983
Reports
The latest publications
> Cluster Bombs Factsheet (pdf, 2.02 MB)> Rehabilitation Matters: The appeal made by people in conflict-affected areas (pdf, 1.64 MB)
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