HALO deminer removing isolation markers having safely excavated the signal
HALO continues to state that the only way to remove the impact that mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) have on a population in as short a timeframe as possible is through large scale mineclearance operations.
HALO’s programme in Somaliland was established in 1999 and employs over 500 national staff members. HALO operates 41 manual clearance sections, two battle area clearance (BAC) sections, four survey / explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams, six mechanical teams and one mine risk education (MRE) team. This capacity is deployed across Somaliland from Awdal region in the north-west to the regions of Sool and Sanaag in the east.
Since the start of 2007, HALO has been conducting a re-assessment to identify the remaining mine problem and the assets required to clear the remaining minefields in a realistic timeframe, to take Somaliland towards a 'mine free' state.
In support of this, HALO is speeding up demining operations in Somaliland by expanding its manual and mechanical capacity and continues trialling new equipment and procedures that have the potential to dramatically improve clearance rates, reducing the amount of time required for HALO to remain in Somaliland. As an example, with the introduction of new detectors, many of the difficulties faced by Somaliland’s laterized soil have been overcome in recent years allowing for great increases in productivity over previous manual clearance techniques.
Besides conducting clearance for humanitarian benefits, HALO is also addressing the problem of explosive security. A pilot Weapons and Ammunition Disposal (WAD) program has been established to work with both the police and the military to assist in the safe storage of explosive ordnance.