The HALO Trust

The HALO Trust (Hazardous Area Life-support Organisation) is a humanitarian non-governmental organisation that clears landmines and other explosive remnants of war left behind by conflict. Founded in 1988, it has grown to employ more than 10,000 staff across 28 countries, making it one of the world's largest humanitarian mine-action organisations.

In Laos, HALO focuses on survey, explosive ordnance disposal, and UXO clearance in the most heavily contaminated districts of Savannakhet Province, addressing the legacy of unexploded submunitions from the Vietnam War era. Its Laotian operation has employed hundreds of national staff, with a strong emphasis on recruiting and training local teams, including women, to carry out clearance work in affected communities.

Beyond clearance, HALO runs survey and risk-education programmes that help communities understand the threat, quantify remaining contamination, and return land safely to productive use.