The UK government has increased support for the HALO Trust, a Scottish charity dedicated to clearing deadly explosives in Afghanistan, according to a statement by UK embassy for Afghanistan.
This funding of £3 million will allow the HALO Trust to continue its work removing landmines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan between April 2025 to March 2026, the statement said.
It added that the funding will help restore basic services and support the safe return of refugees.
“No one should have to live in fear of being killed or maimed by one wrong step. These deadly devices sow fear and destruction for decades and organisations like the HALO Trust do a vital job in clearing mines,” UK’s International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said.
“I was struck by the increasingly important contribution that female de-miners are making in a traditionally male-dominated sector,” she added.
The statement said that through UK funding, 5 million square metres of land has been safely cleared of explosive ordnance between April 2023 and March 2024.
The statement added that the UK government remains committed to supporting these efforts as part of its mission to rebuild communities affected by conflict and make global communities safer.
Afghanistan remains one of the most vulnerable countries to the harms posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance left by conflicts.
