Managing weapons

Guns kill more people each year than landmines. According to the UN, there are over 750 million illicit weapons in circulation globally.

The majority of these weapons are stolen from government stockpiles. These weapons fall into the hands of insurgents, extremists and criminal gangs in countless countries, from Central America to West Africa and the Balkans. They are used in terrorist attacks, human trafficking, and to stoke violence in fragile states.

Accidents with stockpiles of explosives are another major risk, creating thousands of casualties and millions of dollars of damage. This is caused by low capacity in the local security forces, poor government accountability, and ageing infrastructure.

HALO works with governments and local security forces to mark and register stored and seized weapons. This record-keeping enables weapons to be tracked and traced, reducing the likelihood of them falling into the wrong hands.

In El Salvador, there are a large number of guns imported during the civil war or smuggled from weapons stores and overseas. Gang culture is rife here, so this threatens people's safety and destroys communities.

This means local people, like Maria, fear for their safety every day. We're working with the police and armed forces to secure weapons and build a safer future for all El Salvadorans.

In the 10 years since HALO's weapons management programme started, we have:

• destroyed 3.5 million pieces of ammunition 
• built 167 ammunition stores and armouries
• disposed of 237,000 small arms and light weapons

We also train local police and soldiers to an international standard to manage arms stores. This helps to build capacity and enable countries to manage this problem effectively and safely. We're proud to play this key role in achieving peace and stability after conflict.