Vientiane, 22 November 2024 – This month, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) – a humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding organization – is marking its 30th anniversary of operations in Lao PDR. Since 1994, MAG has worked with communities and authorities across Khammouane and Xieng Khouang provinces to find, remove, and destroy hundreds of thousands of bombs leftover from the war.
The Lao PDR is the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. From 1964 to 1973, more than two million tons of explosive ordnance were dropped on the country. The scale of the bombing is the equivalent of a planeload of bombs being dropped every eight minutes, twenty-four hours a day, for nine years. This included 270 million cluster submunitions, of which an estimated 30% failed to detonate on impact – meaning they remain live, contaminating the land, for decades.
MAG currently employs over 1,200 staff in Lao PDR, many of whom are from communities heavily impacted by the conflict and the subsequent contamination. Over the last 30 years, MAG’s impact has been transformative, benefitting nearly 1.2 million people by:
Eli Mechanic, MAG Laos Country Director, stated, “As we mark 30 years of MAG's work in Laos, we are honoring the remarkable dedication of our staff members who have worked hand-in-hand with communities to ensure land can be returned safely to them. Their hard work and commitment to making their communities safer have transformed countless lives. This anniversary is a testament to their efforts and the resilience of the people we serve.”
One of MAG Laos’s first clearance teams formed in 1994 in collaboration with
the Mennonite Central Committee and the Lao government. ©MAG
With approximately 2,000 square kilometers of confirmed hazardous areas still requiring clearance, it is paramount that support for unexploded ordnance (UXO) survey and clearance in Lao PDR continues and people can live and use their land without fear of deadly accidents.
"For over 30 years, the United States has provided more than $400 million toward UXO clearance efforts and support for victims. We are currently supporting over 200 clearance teams, which have cleared more land this year than in any previous year. We are making progress, but we know we need to do more, and we are committed to working with partners like MAG to ensure Laos meets its goal of removing UXO as a barrier to national development,” said US Ambassador to Lao PDR, H.E. Heather Variava.
The majority of land cleared by MAG of cluster munitions and other UXO is agricultural land. Humanitarian mine action can and does have an incredible impact on agriculture, development initiatives and food security, with reverberating positive effects on communities previously restricted by the presence of ordnance.
H.E. Mel Barlow, UK Ambassador to Lao PDR, stated, “The UK Government is one of the largest bilateral donors supporting UXO clearance work in Laos. We are proud to support MAG and to celebrate their 30 year commitment to life-saving work in Laos. I was privileged to visit their work in Xieng Khouang and learn how this is reducing injuries and returning land to communities – directly contributing to the development of Laos.”
As MAG commemorates this significant milestone, the organization remains steadfast in its commitment to working with the Lao government, development partners, and conflict-affected communities until the country is free from the threat of unexploded ordnance. This commitment, along with robust international support and community engagement, is essential in paving the way for a safer and more prosperous future for Laos.
MAG clearance team members use a large-loop detector to search for unexploded bombs
on farmland in Xieng Khouang province. ©MAG/Bart Verweij
MAG is grateful for the committed and supportive donors who make this vital work possible. MAG would like to sincerely thank our long-term government partners, the Government of the United States, the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with the Be Good Foundation, Restoration Laos, No More UXO, and Article 22 for their invaluable support. MAG would also like to thank our Lao government and national operating partners; the National Regulatory Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UXO Lao, for their ongoing support and collaboration.
For more information, contact:
Phutsaphone Khounlivong
Communications Manager
MAG Laos
Phutsaphone.khounlivong@maginternational.org
+85620 555 29573
About MAG
MAG is a global humanitarian organization that finds and destroys landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs in places affected by conflict. Since 1989, MAG has helped over 20 million people in 70 countries rebuild their lives and livelihoods after war. MAG's work helps communities to be safer, more confident, and better able to improve their futures.
Learn more about MAG's work in Laos here.
