Lao PDR
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“I thought it was scrap metal”
While preparing space for his son’s wedding celebration, Mr. Koi from Hinlath Village in Xanasomboun district, Lao PDR, discovered a buried item he thought could be sold as scrap metal. Instead, it was a live 100Ib incendiary bomb.
Norwegian People’s Aid Contributes to National Consultation Ahead of Lao PDR’s Hosting of the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions
On Friday, The National Regulatory Authority (NRA) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), convened the National Consultation on Cross-Cutting Issues in the UXO/Mine Action Sector in Lao PDR. The consultation was held alongside two additional preparatory events for the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (3RC-CCM), which Lao PDR will host in September 2026.
Protecting People and the Environment: Norwegian People’s Aid’s Commitment in Lao PDR
In Lao PDR, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) clears land contaminate by cluster munitions, helping communities regain safe access to land for farming and daily life. While this work brings significant benefits, some clearance activities may also have environmental impacts if it is not carefully managed.
Unexploded Ordnance Threats Removed from Cassava Plantation, Enabling Safer Farming in Phonthong Village, Champasak Province, Lao PDR
Before local farmers could prepare their lands for the upcoming cassava planting season, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) Team removed dangerous threat hidden beneath the soil. During the clearance in March, NPA team discovered a SUU 14 dispenser containing six tubes filled with 102 BLU-3B submunitions in the village. In total, 112 submunitions and three other unexploded ordnances were safely destroyed within this agricultural area of 37,080 square meters.
Canada and Norwegian People’s Aid support Lao PDR’s CCM Presidency
As Lao PDR serves as the Presidency of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in 2026 and prepares to host the Third Review Conference 14-18 September, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) is proud to support the CCM Presidency through funding from the Government of Canada’s Weapons Threat Reduction Program.
NPA Protects Villagers in Contaminated Areas in Southern Lao PDR Through Explosive Ordnance Risk Education.
In additional to clearance activities in southern Laos, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) conducts explosive ordnance risk education in communities effected by explosive hazards. Risk education helps villagers live and farm as safely as possible in contaminated areas. It also prevents villagers from engaging with explosive hazards and promotes safer behavior.
When the Past Still Explodes
In 1996, Mr. Somphone Duangchampa got seriously injured by an unexploded ordnance (UXO) while preparing the area behind his house to build a cattle pen. The accident caused severe injuries to his leg and abdomen.
Aircraft Bomb Successfully Destroyed in Phaosamphan village, Lao PDR
On March 22, 2026, the NPA team in Attapeu safely removed an MK82 500Ib bomb which was discovered during clearance operations in Phaosamphan Village, Xaysetha District, Attapeu Province.
What Looked Like Scrap Metal Was a Live Bomb
As his family prepared to celebrate their son’s wedding, Mr. Koi from Ban Hinlat in Xanasomboun district, Lao PDR, set out to clear space around his home for a cooking area. What began as routine preparations quickly turned into a potentially deadly discovery.
When the Bombs Were Gone in Maknao Noy Village
For years, Mr. Khamdan did not know that unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance teams existed. Like many villagers at the time, he handled cluster munitions himself. He dug holes, collected the items and piled them together carefully and sometime burned them with waste.
UXO Clearance Restores Safe Farmland in Sekong Province, Laos
The danger began in 2007. While Tad was clearing land to grow rice, he discovered a bomb buried along the edge of his paddy field. “I didn’t dare touch it,” said Mr. Tad. “I only covered it with soil, marked the spot and warned my children, grandchildren and nearby villagers not to go near it. I was afraid the children might step on it and it would explode,” he recalls.
Clearing the Past, Securing the Future in Southern Laos
In the hills and farmlands of southern Laos, the legacy of war remains buried just beneath the soil. For many rural communities, unexploded ordnance (UXO) is not a distant memory, but a daily threat - one that limits movement, farming, and safety.
When the pumpkin is a bomb, and your nearsight recues you!
Sometimes bombs can lay for decades without anyone knowing
Progress in Lao PDR Clearance Efforts: A Path to Safety and Development
Laos, recognized as the most heavily bombed country per capita in history, continues to make significant strides in clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO) from its landscape. Recent initiatives, bolstered by international support, have enhanced civilian safety and paved the way for socio-economic development.
Laos in a greener direction
Not only does Laos PDR hold the undisputed record of the world's most heavily bombed country. The country also faces a huge waste problem.
