Govt pledge €2m for mines clearance

Since 1988 the charity has cleared over 5 million mines.

Conor Lenihan, Minister of State for Irish Aid and Human Rights, said: “Every year, tens of thousands of people are killed or injured by landmines and other explosive remnants of war.

“Those that survive are often disabled for life and need long-term care, not only rehabilitation but also social and economic support.

“Our support for HALO Trust – a key partner in the battle against land mines - will save lives and rehabilitate communities. Their work allows communities, who have come through conflict, to safely reclaim their land and livelihoods.”

HALO Trust has 7,000 mine clearers in 10 countries. Since 2000, Ireland has given over 8 million euro to the organisation for its life saving activities in Cambodia, Kosovo, Angola, Eritrea, Somalia and Afghanistan.

The €1.7m funding for this year will target war torn regions of Afghanistan, Angola and Somalia.

The troubled nations are some of the most heavily mined countries in the world with up to 640,000 mines laid in Afghanistan alone since 1979.

Between March 2002 and December 2005 in Afghanistan over 3.5 million refugees returned to the area which had been the front lines of the war between the Northern Alliance and Taliban.

HALO’s work in surveying the area, clearance and ordnance disposal have been vital to ensure their safe return.

In Somalia, mine risk education teams are working with locals to encourage the hand-over of stored ammunition and mines and to ensure safer practices by rural communities to reduce death and injury.

Thirty years of conflict in Angola have left a complex spread of mines and unexploded ordnance across parts of the country.

Since 2002, mines clearance has enabled 3.8 million displaced Angolans to return home.