Some of the unexploded devices unearthed in recent years.

UXO accidents kill five, injure 15 over past year

A total of 16 UXO-related accidents were recorded in Laos over the past year, in which 15 people were injured and five people died.
The figures were reported at a meeting held in Vientiane recently to summarise UXO clearance operations in Laos, chaired by the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Mrs Baykham Khattiya.
Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Mr Padeumphone Sonthany said authorities had encouraged more organisations to get involved in activities relating to education and awareness about the risks posed by unexploded ordnance.
Training sessions on the source and consequences of explosions had been delivered 873 times to a total of 237,962 people.
In addition, assistance had been provided to UXO victims on 225 occasions, involving 183 people, of whom 40 were given medical treatment.
From 1996 to February 2023, more than 1.8 million UXO devices were cleared from 79,599 hectares of land, making agricultural land safe for farmers and freeing up other areas for development.
Laos is the most severely UXO-affected country as a result of heavy bombing during the Indo-China war from 1964-1973.
The large number of unexploded devices that remain in the ground continues to cause physical damage and affect people’s livelihoods. They are an obstacle to the use of land for agricultural production, and to the overall socio-economic development of Laos.
The burden of addressing this problem remains heavy and there are many challenges, especially the need for more funding and technical support from the international community.
To solve the problem of unexploded ordnance in Laos, greater coordination is needed between the central and local sectors involved, with the support of international organisations, to create a national strategic plan to effectively address the problem in the long term.
From 1996 to February 22, 2023, some 79,599 hectares of land were cleared, making local communities safe, with 1,808,254 unexploded ordnance devices removed and detonated.
Of this number, 1,056,393 were cluster bombs, 4,336 were large bombs, and 2,456 were land mines, while 745,069 other types of munitions were also located and detonated.
In terms of mine risk education, people in 4,092 villages were made aware of the dangers posed and the need for caution. From 2015 to 2022, assistance was provided to 2,846 people who were victims of UXO-related accidents.
Non-technical surveys were carried out from 2011 to 2022 in 2,709 villages, while technical surveys took place from 2010-2022 in 1,804 villages. Some 174,638 hectares of land were confirmed to be affected by cluster bombs.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update April 10, 2023)