Donate
Skip to content
The HALO Trust USA
Contact | Careers | Media | HALO Ukraine
Donate
  • What we do

    • What we do

    • Our work

      • Our work

      • Clearing explosives

      • Managing weapons and ammunition

      • Teaching safety

      • Responding to crisis

      • Empowering women

      • Protecting the environment

    Our work

    • Clearing explosives
    • Managing weapons and ammunition
    • Teaching safety
    • Responding to crisis
    • Empowering women
    • Protecting the environment
  • Where we work

    • Where we work

    • Africa

      • Africa

      • Angola

      • Ethiopia

      • Malawi

      • Mozambique

      • Somalia and Somaliland

      • Zimbabwe

      • Nigeria

      • Ghana

      • Cote D’Ivoire

      • Mauritania

      • Togo

      • Kenya

      • Guinea Bissau

    • Europe & Caucasus

      • Europe & Caucasus

      • Kosovo

      • Nagorno Karabakh

      • Ukraine

      • Moldova

    • Asia

      • Asia

      • Afghanistan

      • Cambodia

      • Laos

      • Myanmar

      • Solomon Islands

      • Sri Lanka

    • Latin America

      • Latin America

      • Colombia

      • El Salvador

      • Guatemala

      • Honduras

    • Middle East

      • Middle East

      • Libya

      • Syria

      • West Bank

      • Yemen

      • Iraq

    Africa

    • Angola
    • Ethiopia
    • Malawi
    • Mozambique
    • Somalia and Somaliland
    • Zimbabwe
    • Nigeria
    • Ghana
    • Cote D’Ivoire
    • Mauritania
    • Togo
    • Kenya
    • Guinea Bissau

    Europe & Caucasus

    • Kosovo
    • Nagorno Karabakh
    • Ukraine
    • Moldova

    Asia

    • Afghanistan
    • Cambodia
    • Laos
    • Myanmar
    • Solomon Islands
    • Sri Lanka

    Latin America

    • Colombia
    • El Salvador
    • Guatemala
    • Honduras

    Middle East

    • Libya
    • Syria
    • West Bank
    • Yemen
    • Iraq
  • About us

    • About us

    • Who we are

      • Who we are

      • History of HALO

      • Leadership team

      • Partners

    • Governance

      • Governance

      • Trustees

      • Reports

    Who we are

    • History of HALO
    • Leadership team
    • Partners

    Governance

    • Trustees
    • Reports
  • Get involved

    • Get involved

    • Give

      • Give

      • Donate

      • Donate monthly

      • Legacy giving

      • Corporate giving

      • Fundraising promise

      • Raise money

    • Join us

      • Join us

      • Email newsletter

    • Advocate

      • Advocate

      • Sign up and take action

      • NextGen Advocacy Network

      • Bipartisan Congressional UXO/Demining Caucus

      • Advocacy partners

    Give

    • Donate
    • Donate monthly
    • Legacy giving
    • Corporate giving
    • Fundraising promise
    • Raise money

    Join us

    • Email newsletter

    Advocate

    • Sign up and take action
    • NextGen Advocacy Network
    • Bipartisan Congressional UXO/Demining Caucus
    • Advocacy partners
  • Latest

    • Latest

    • HALO updates

      • HALO updates

      • News

      • Stories

      • Historias de America Latina

    HALO updates

    • News
    • Stories
    • Historias de America Latina
  • Contact

  • Careers

  • Media

  • HALO Ukraine

Donate
A team of Japan-funded deminers stand holding their tools in Sri Lanka

2 Million Mines Gone for Good

24th November 2023 | Clearing explosives, HALO news

HALO was established in 1988 in response to the devastating human toll of landmines in Afghanistan following the Soviet withdrawal. Over the last thirty-five years, we have cleared landmines from 29 countries and territories, including Angola where Princess Diana was filmed in a minefield in 1997. The Princess championed the banning of landmines, and the Ottawa Treaty was signed later that year. Today we mark a major milestone—2 million mines cleared for good.

"Working for HALO isn’t just a job, I think it makes you tough, it makes you very resilient. It also gives you hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel."
Dr. Farid, HALO Afghanistan Country Director
James Cowan, CEO of HALO

I would like to pay tribute to the tens of thousands of HALO staff who have put other people's lives first to rid countries of this deadly scourge.

HALO employs over 11,500 staff around the world - many of them clearing their own communities of the deadly legacy of conflict. We estimate that their dedication has saved the lives of 2 million people and enabled over 10 million people to have safer access to schools, health clinics and farming land—ensuring children can reach class without walking through a minefield and parents can put food on the table.

"It's not just my job, when I take a landmine out of the ground, and destroy it, ammunition, and destroy it. I feel we have helped someone’s life."
Survey & EOD Commander, HALO Cambodia

Saving and transforming lives

A group of children in Afghanistan stand in front of their home, which was used to store IEDs
Afghanistan
A deminer kneels whilst holding a detector in the jungle in Cambodia
Cambodia
A team of deminers stand together in HALO PPE in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

This 2 million milestone brings the levels of mine contamination in Ukraine into sharp focus. Ukraine is suffering from the heaviest landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination in Europe since World War II. Estimates suggest there could be over two million landmines in the country, putting approximately 6.1 million people at risk and significantly restricting access to agricultural land which, in turn, limits grain production.

"Clearing two million mines is a major achievement, but there is still a mountain to climb. We are witnessing a new age of mine laying in Ukraine and Yemen, while people in Afghanistan, Somalia and Zimbabwe are living cheek by jowl with the long-term legacy of historic conflicts. With increased funding, HALO could clear even more weapons and save more lives."
James Cowan, CEO, The HALO Trust

Over the past 12 months, HALO has expanded rapidly in Ukraine, where it uses technologies, equipment, and devices it has trialed in various locations, including drones, ground-penetrating radar, and remote-controlled machinery. In Ukraine, and across the world our staff will continue our mission to support protect the lives and restore the livelihoods of those affected by conflict.

Thank you to all our donors, who have enabled us to reach this milestone and continue to support our life-saving work.

Share this article

Get Involved

  • Donate
  • Raise money
  • Advocate

Get in touch

  • Contact
  • Media enquiries
Sitemap | Terms of use | Privacy policy USA | Cookie policy
The HALO Trust USA | Copyright © 2025
Sign Up To Our Newsletter
Visit the HALO Trust website

CARRONFOOT, THORNHILL, DUMFRIES, DG3 5BF

The HALO Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 2228587. Registered Charity No. 1001813 and (in Scotland) SC037870. Registered Office: One Bartholomew Close, Barts Square, London EC1A 7BL

The HALO Trust (USA), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization US Federal Tax ID Number 52-2158152
Office: 1730 Rhode Island Ave NW, Suite 206, Washington, DC 20036 

By registering for our updates, or making a donation to us, you expressly agree to your information being used by The HALO Trust and The HALO Trust (USA), Inc. in accordance with our privacy protection policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You are currently on our US & Canadian website.

Visit www.halotrust.org