A HALO survey officer talks to villagers during the Landmine Impact Survey
Even though Angola is a huge country with wide open spaces the vast majority of landmines were laid in and around towns and villages that now have growing economies and expanding populations.
There are thus concentrations of landmines where there are concentrations of people. HALO has conducted extensive survey of the five provinces in which it operates and, as at June 2010, there are 778 confirmed minefields that require clearance.
Landmine accidents occur when people inadvertently wander into a minefield or are forced to take the risk of travelling through a minefield in order to collect water, fetch firewood or grow food for their families. Anti-tank mines on roads deny vehicular access to entire areas and strike unexpectedly causing multiple casualties. They disrupt equally the movement of people and goods, civilians and military, aid organizations and the government.