NPA staff, numbering more than 1,000, pose for a group photo at Champassak stadium.

Norwegian People’s Aid celebrates 27 years of support for unexploded ordnance survey, clearance in Laos

Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) is celebrating 27 years of support for unexploded ordnance (UXO) survey and clearance in Laos.
NPA Country Director, Mr Aubrey Sutherland, said “Since the NPA began working in Laos in 1997, the organisation has surveyed 600 km2 of land, confirmed 282 km2 of contaminated hazardous areas, cleared 45 km2 of hazardous areas, responded to over 5,600 roving tasks as a response to local villagers’ reports for explosive ordnance disposal, and has safely destroyed over 153,000 explosive ordnance items from all of its activities.”
“Most importantly, NPA’s work has directly benefitted at least 233,000 women, men, girls and boys, which helps the people across its operational provinces to have safer and improved living conditions in terms of safety and socio-economic development,” he added.

NPA Country Director, Mr Aubrey Sutherland, speaks at the 27-year anniversary last week in Champassak province.

Norwegian People’s Aid is a leading international non-governmental organisation that has programmes on Mine Action and Disarmament, Development and Humanitarian Relief Aid in over 30 countries.
In 1997, NPA began working in Laos, providing technical advisory support to UXO Lao.
In 2009, NPA commenced as an operator by starting the establishment and deployment of its own survey and clearance teams in Saravan province.
From its beginning with only 64 staff, Norwegian People’s Aid has grown to become a trusted humanitarian mine action operator with staffing of over 1,000 in the country.
In addition to providing capacity development on information management with the National Regulatory Authority, NPA is currently operating in Champassak, Saravan, Xekong and Attapeu provinces, conducting surveys, explosive ordnance risk education, clearance, and explosive ordnance disposal by roving tasks.
The governments of the United States and Norway, and other donors in the past including NRK, FCDO, Fagforbundet, and Sida, have provided a combined total of more than US$90 million to NPA to support survey and clearance operations in Laos since 2009.
In 2023-2024, NPA received significantly increased funding from the United States government to double its clearance capacity to better support Laos to meet its Convention on Cluster Munitions’ Article 4 obligations and to keep the Lao people safe from unexploded ordnance.
On 4 April 2024, Norwegian People’s Aid hosted a Baci ceremony in Champassak province to celebrate 27 years of NPA being present and 15 years of being operational in Laos to support UXO surveys and clearance.

NPA’s guests and staff attend a Baci ceremony.

The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action was attended by over 1,000 people, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Regulatory Authority, provincial and district authorities in NPA’s operational areas, the US Embassy in Laos, NPA’s partners and affiliates, other mine action organisations, and NPA staff.
On behalf of the Government of Laos, the National Regulatory Authority’s Deputy Director General, Mr Douangsy Thammavong, acknowledged NPA’s great achievements and contribution to the UXO sector and socio-economic development.
Political Economic Section Chief of the US Embassy in Laos, Mr Dan O’Hara, emphasised the commitment of the Embassy to support Sustainable Development Goal 18 to remove unexploded ordnance as a barrier to development by 2030.
He relayed in his remarks that Norwegian People’s Aid is a key implementing partner of the US Embassy’s UXO Programme and has played the role of leading innovator in guiding the development of the Cluster Munition Remnants Survey methodology, now used by all six humanitarian clearance operators in Laos.
These surveys enable the government to better prioritise tasks and allow humanitarian clearance operators to more accurately and effectively target areas for clearance. The US Embassy is looking forward to continuing the cooperation with NPA in the coming years.
Laos remains the world’s most contaminated nation per capita and has yet to have a reliable estimate of cluster munitions contamination, but has been systematically undertaking a nationwide survey of populated areas.
Norwegian People’s Aid remains strongly committed to supporting the UXO sector in Laos to reduce the threats from unexploded ordnance to a level where people can live safely and development is not constrained.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update April 8, 2024)