Programs and Events

U.S. Embassy sponsors UXO clearance project in Sekong Province

FSD Program Manager Nigel Orr signs MOUs with NRA Director Dr. Maligna as donor representatives and NRA staff look on

On Thursday, April 5, representatives from the U.S. Embassy participated in a signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding between the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) and the National Regulatory Agency for UXO/Mine Action in Laos (NRA). The United States and the Government of Australia are funding programs to improve unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance capacity in Sekong and Savannakhet provinces. The U.S. government's Weapons Removal and Abatement program will contribute $422,492 to FSD for clearance work in Sekong Province in support of the UN World Food Program’s “Food for Work” program. It is estimated the project will clear 210 rice paddies for future use by local communities, and also clear land for fish ponds, dams, and roads.

The United States Government is the largest single donor for UXO removal in Laos, spending $5 million in 2006 to fund organizations dedicated to clearing land, educating the people on the dangers of UXO, and providing assistance to victims.