Portfolio Laos

Country in Southeast Asia, 236,800 sq km. Population (2005, NSC) ca. 5,62 million. Population composition: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong “Meo” and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/ Chinese 1%.

Cause and scope of the landmine problem
During the Indochina War Laos experienced the heaviest aerial bombardment in history. US bombing records show an average of 176 sorties a day over nine years and more than two million tons of bombs were dropped between 1964 and 1973. Clearance teams have found at least 186 types of munitions, including 19 types of cluster munitions (Landmine Monitor). A survey carried out by Handicap International in 1997 collected detailed information from 7,675 villages determining the presence of ERW, the type of land contaminated and types of UXO observed, the number of casualties caused by UXO and their impact on affected communities.

NPA history in the country
The project started in 1997 through technical assistance to the national organization UXO LAO with the deployment of technical advisors in the fields of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Mine Risk Education and Finance. In 2007 NPA assistance to UXO Lao spread from assistance in two provinces to supplementing the national capacity of UXO Lao in all nine of the most contaminated provinces with the implementation of an Enhanced Technical Survey element to UXO Lao Operations.

Capacity

From October 2007 onwards Technical support to Enhanced Technical Survey Operations will be maintained, ensuring dedicated advice & guidance to the building of the operational capacity to UXO Lao.

Donors
NORAD funding 1997-2001. Technical assistance to UXO Lao was supported by the US Department of State 2002-2007.   Enhanced Technical Survey funded by DFID in 2007.  Since September 2007 the programme is funded by Norwegian MFA

Links

Landmine Monitor Report for Laos: http://www.icbl.org/lm/2007/lao

National Regulatory Authority UXO/Mine Action Sector Lao PDR:http://www.nra.gov.la

UXO Lao: http://www.uxolao.org