HALO Zimbabwe destroys its 1,000th mine
Milestone reached – HALO Zimbabwe destroys its 1,000th mine after only six months of clearance.
In April 2014 HALO Zimbabwe destroyed its 1,000th mine, a mere six months after the start of demining operations in November last year. The achievement is all the more notable for the fact that the clearance is taking place in difficult conditions within a few metres of a road, a village and a school.
Zimbabwe’s mines problem receives little public attention but the border communities are severely impacted. HALO’s survey to date indicates that there are 12 minefields within 150m of schools, 19 minefields within 50m of houses and 31 minefields within 10m of cultivated land. There is a need to get funding for more HALO deminers as soon as possible to reduce the threat faced by these communities and to allow them to use their land without fear.
HALO Zimbabwe’s current mine clearance capacity is supported by the Government of Japan (ODA), the Government of the United States (PM/WRA), and the Government of Ireland (Irish Aid).
