In June, The HALO Trust, along with Mines Advisory Group (MAG) America, Legacies of War, and PeaceTrees Vietnam, provided written testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs seeking additional funding for State Department Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) programs in the fiscal year 2023 budget.
The testimony included a total recommendation of $290 million for CWD (humanitarian demining and weapons security) programs, as well as specific allocations for operations in Ukraine, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Angola, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Nagorno Karabakh. This includes some of the most heavily bombed and mined areas in the world, where increased CWD funding will make a meaningful impact in the lives of millions. While HALO is already on the ground in Ukraine, increased funding is necessary to deal with the acute danger of the ongoing conflict and the threat to rebuilding that landmines present.
The State Department’s CWD program focuses on clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance, as well as securing weaponry, to allow civilians to live safely and rebuild their lives after conflict. Since 1993, the U.S. has provided $4.2 billion to more than 100 countries to support CWD activities.
The full text of the testimonies can be found here (House) and here (Senate).
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