The air force of the USA flew 580 000 bombing missions over neutral Laos between 1964 and 1973. They dropped cluster bombs containing 270 million units of cluster munition to interrupt supplies to the Vietcong in South Vietnam. That equates to a truckload every 8 minutes for nine years – more bombs than were dropped on Germany and Japan together during the Second World War.

The exact extent of the contamination is unclear, so a survey is underway. So far, they have claimed the lives of more than 50 000 people and severely impeded economic development.

The project

WWM began working in the Laotian province of Khammouane, a particularly affected area, in 2008. We work together with UXO Lao, the largest national player for mine action, to clear cluster munition and sensitise the population.

Case story: Help for Onn Sa

61-year-old rice farmer Onn Sa beams at the end of the 8-day operation. 27 units of cluster munition and 16 grenades were found on her land and defused. After years of fear, she can at last till her rice fields once again without risk.

She knew her land hid explosive remnants of war, but her family of six survives on rice cultivation. Like thousands of other farmers in Laos, Onn Sa simply had no choice. Prior to the clearance that was financed by WWM, she risked her life every day tilling her land. Onn Sa will never forget her horror when her granddaughter brought a bomb home one day. They were both lucky that it did not explode. But the moment had come for Onn Sa to take action. The village leader contacted UXO Lao.

What we achieved

Onn Sa's example shows not only how important it is to sensitise the population, but also that the aid provided by WWM reaches the people for whom it is intended. It creates safety family by family, village by village.

Pictures: UXO Lao