“The problem is monumental. There are so many affected regions. Every day we get calls from people begging us to clear their land." HALO’s Zakaria el-Othman spoke to @csmonitor.bsky.social as 'tens of thousands of displaced families' return home to land littered with explosives in #Syria.

Changing weather has led to land degradation, reduced water and biodiversity loss in Somaliland. Landmines further impact agriculture and clearance is often a first step in restoring land & livelihoods, though clearance can also impact the environment as vegetation is removed.

For decades, #Jaffna was littered with landmines and cut off. We’ve been in #SriLanka since 2002 and have now cleared 300,000 mines, allowing the north of the island to open to tourists. As we celebrate our local deminers' incredible progress, join us on a tour of Jaffna, Sri Lanka's hidden gem:

Germany is actively helping to increase security in Syria through our humanitarian demining partnerships with @thehalotrust.bsky.social and @hi-deutschland.bsky.social. Mines and unexploded ordnance pose a deadly threat to millions in Syria – both those still there and those hoping to return home.

#Syria: Since the Assad regime fell last year, mine accidents have killed or injured over 1,000 people. Tragically, the true count may be much higher. Almost two million people who fled conflict in Syria have returned home to find their towns, villages and fields contaminated with deadly ordnance.

🎥 "Landmines kill and maim long after wars end. The victims are often children." In this 'Talk to Al Jazeera' interview, our CEO James Cowan discusses all aspects of our life-saving work - from Ukraine to Afghanistan, Syria and beyond. Watch now on @al-jazeera-english.bsky.social bit.ly/4j9vZJS

Today is #VEDay80, marking 80 years since the end of #WWII in Europe. While VE Day saw a huge outpouring of joy, we know from our experience of clearing conflict zones all over the world that the threat of unexploded bombs, mines and munitions lives on long after the fighting stops.

⭐Can you push the boundaries of innovation in risk management mine action? Have groundbreaking ideas with real-world impact? There is still time to submit your ideas for our GICHD Innovation Award 2025! Apply by 20 May 2025 (extended deadline) 👇 link.gichd.org/InnovationAw...

Powerful & moving testimony at @parliament.scot CPG on #InternationalDevelopment, hearing updates from @decscotland.bsky.social on #Myanmar, @islamicreliefuk.bsky.social on #Sudan, @actionforhumanity.bsky.social on #Gaza & @thehalotrust.bsky.social on #Ukraine - intdevalliance.scot/news-view/cr...

In 2020, HALO cleared mines from Christ's Baptism Site on the banks of the River Jordan, allowing worshippers to safely return to a site that had been abandoned for 50 years. We were honoured that Pope Francis acknowledged our work, as we mourn his passing and thank him for his commitment to peace.

In Bajgorë/a, land once filled with landmines is now home to cottages, hikers, and wind turbines. Thanks to @npaid.bsky.social, @thehalotrust.bsky.social, Kosovo Mine Action Centre, with EU support, land is safely returned to communities, creating new opportunities for tourism, green energy &jobs.

Thank you to @news.dw.com, who observed our expert deminers' work in #Syria, where "nearly a third of the population are affected by explosive contamination." Families are returning home after the fall of Assad to find their land littered with deadly hazards: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NE1...

🎥 “#Syria is at a crossroads." "There’s a huge opportunity for HALO and everyone in the sector to make a massive difference in the lives of Syrians and really address the problem of mine contamination at scale.” HALO’s Nick Torbet, speaking from the 🇨🇭 #NDMUN28 Mine Action Conference:

This week, we’re in 🇨🇭 Geneva for the #NDMUN28 Mine Action Conference. Today, we’re hosting a side event with @undp.org, @unep.org and @germany.diplo.de, discussing how demining operators can best support reconstruction in urban environments devastated by conflict. ➡️ bit.ly/3G0Af0i

Jeder Schritt abseits gesicherter Wege kann tödlich sein: In über 60 Ländern bedrohen #Minen und Kampfmittelrückstände Menschenleben. Mit unserer Unterstützung für Minenräumung, Aufklärung und Opferfürsorge schaffen wir sichere Räume für Millionen Menschen. #MineAction

🧵(1/2): Today, a delegation of ambassadors will trace Princess Diana's footsteps in Huambo, 🇦🇴 Angola, where HALO’s demining has transformed the area beyond recognition. ​ In 1997, Diana walked through what was a minefield. It was a walk that forced the world to sit up and take notice.

12 HALO staff have successfully completed Explosive Ordnance (EOD) training in #Syria. Thanks to @germany.diplo.de funding, those staff will begin their life-saving work next month - protecting communities who are returning home to find their land contaminated with deadly explosives.

The highest concentration of unexploded devices is along old frontlines in Aleppo and Idlib, @thehalotrust.bsky.social found. Here, Assad forces uprooted olive trees, made earth barricades, planted mines and booby traps to cause maximum harm. @thenewarab.bsky.social www.newarab.com/features/syr...

The German Foreign Office (GFFO - @germany.diplo.de) supports HALO with a €5M grant to boost demining in #Syria. Our CEO James Cowan said: “We're extremely grateful to the GFFO. As millions of Syrians return, this funding will help avoid deaths and injuries." Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4c1Y8R4

HALO Global Ambassador Josh Kennedy-White visited #Afghanistan to witness our work first-hand. In this LinkedIn article, Josh reflects on a land that "bears the deep scars of past conflicts," where HALO's clearance work is a vital first step for a safer, more prosperous future. ➡️ bit.ly/4iUHgOg

"It’s minus 14 degrees, a sunny February day and - words I never thought I’d ever write - I’m walking through a live minefield in the most mined country in the world." HALO was delighted to host Rachel Johnson in Bervytsia village, Ukraine for @lbc.co.uk: www.lbc.co.uk/opinion/view...

🎥 Three years of war in #Ukraine has left huge amounts of land contaminated with deadly mines and explosives. HALO will continue to make the land safe so families can return home and farmers can grow grain - building a more secure future for the people of Ukraine:

💡 “Working with Amazon Web Services and using AI will transform the way we work," says Matthew Abercrombie, Head of Research and Development at The HALO Trust. As part of AWS's Pioneers Project, Matthew discusses HALO’s use of drones and AI to clear landmines more quickly: bit.ly/4kcC6P1

🎥 Whatever the future holds for #Ukraine, The HALO Trust will be at the cutting edge of mine clearance technology - keeping farmers and families safe and paving the way for a more secure and prosperous future. ⬇️

A rising star saving lives in Angola. ✨ Rita Vambe's journey with HALO began as a deminer before she rose to the role of Sub-unit Commander, leading teams to make land safe for communities in Cuito Cuanavale. "I joined HALO to help rid my country of landmines," says Rita.

The HALO Trust's vital work, clearing landmines and explosives to protect lives and livelihoods, is featured in this Positive News piece: www.positive.news/society/thre...

UK investment in Benguela, #Angola, is helping drive growth and development – all made possible by HALO's work. Between 2007-08, HALO cleared mines from Catumbela Airport, paving the way for economic development and progress. Today, Benguela is thriving: bit.ly/3EI0ZSt

🎥 @al-jazeera-english.bsky.social report on the dangers of deadly mines and explosives in Syria. HALO's Syria Programme Manager Damian O’Brien discusses the "huge increase in accidents as people return to their land" after the fall of the Assad regime in December ⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ef...

Clearing deadly explosives should be a key goal of @munsecconf.bsky.social. “From the vast grainfields of Ukraine to the former front lines in Syria, removing landmines builds security, enhances stability and saves lives,” said HALO CEO James Cowan. #MSC2025 More➡️ www.halotrust.org/latest/halo-...

I spoke with Mouiad Alnofaly, @thehalotrust.bsky.social operations manager in Syria for @metro.co.uk His team consists of only 40 deminers. He says that at least 400 more are needed to clear Syria, otherwise the operation will take decades.

🧵(1/2) Landmine crisis spirals in Syria. ⚠️ Displaced people are returning home to find their land contaminated with deadly explosives. In the past week alone, 39 adults and 8 children have died in accidents involving mines and explosives - figures likely to be a serious underestimate.

HALO's Paul McCann for @thenationalnews.com from Syria, where "we are dealing with 10 times the number of call-out requests" than before the Assad regime fell, as displaced people are returning home to "unprecedented levels of deadly explosives" on their land: www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...

HALO welcomed Catherine West to Sri Lanka to learn more about our vital work. UK funding has been key to HALO’s efforts to remove explosives following the civil war, allowing displaced people to return home safely and rebuild their lives. With thanks to the British High Commission in Sri Lanka.

HALO Afghanistan was delighted to host Dr. Mirdef Ali Al-Qashouti, acting Qatari Charge D'affaires to Afghanistan. We discussed the challenges of removing deadly explosives and demonstrated the use of body armour and various pieces of equipment. With thanks to the Qatar Embassy in Kabul.

🧵1/2: “We never thought we’d get our land back. Having our own land allows us to look to the future with hope,” says Kiddan Mangalaeswaran from Muhamalai, Sri Lanka. For decades, Kiddan's land in Muhamalai was inaccessible, due to the presence of mines from the civil war.

🎥 "It's been so exciting to see HALO's work, which is changing lives right around the world." Thank you to International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds for visiting our Scottish HQ today, as the UK government are set to to provide £7m in new funding for our life-saving our work.

Supporting recovery in 🇱🇾 #Libya. HALO teams recently cleared a second bunker in as many months at the Misrata Air College, where a series of explosions took place in 2020. Our work in aiding Misrata’s recovery is made possible by funding from the US State Department and other partners.

The @newyorker.com report on how HALO #Ukraine's life-saving work "will continue long after the fighting is over." The huge task of demining is laid bare as "NASA found that in 2024, 5.9 million acres - nearly 8% - of Ukraine’s cropland lay abandoned.” ⬇️ www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

28 years ago, Princess Diana famously walked through a minefield with HALO in #Angola. Years later, Prince Harry made the same journey, "taking up her cause and detonating a landmine myself," as he praised the "wonderful transformation" of the demined area: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/...

“#Afghanistan faces a paradox of reduced donor support and increase in humanitarian need," says a HALO spokesperson. This @rferl.org.web.brid.gy piece outlines the urgent need to fund land clearance in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of mine casualties: www.rferl.org/a/afghanista...

"There's a huge amount of mines - tragically there have been cases of entire families being wiped out. HALO only has 40 deminers on the ground." HALO's Mouiad Alnofaly calls for a "huge international effort" for funding mine clearance in #Syria. 🎧 BBC Sounds: ➡️ www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

We welcome David Lammy’s strong commitment to tackling rising global conflict. HALO is at the frontline, responding to challenges arising from conflict - we look forward to working closely with FCDO to build safer and more prosperous lives in places affected by conflict: www.gov.uk/government/s...

An urgent call for funding in #Syria. Over 80 civilians, including 12 children, have been killed by mines and explosives in the month since Bashar Al Assad was toppled, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights figures that are certainly an underestimate. www.halotrust.org/latest/halo-...

A rising star in Angola! 🌟 Jussara has risen through the ranks at HALO, from deminer to medic, team leader and now supervisor. Protecting citizens is exactly what motivates her: “I'm happy that my province Benguela is now free of mines. I’m proud that I could help the clearance with my own work."

Training for veterans in #Ukraine. 💙 HALO Ukraine recently welcomed participants of a pilot scheme launched by @undp.org for veterans injured by explosives. The training focuses on using drones to collect and analyse imagery for clearing mines, offering opportunities in humanitarian work. 🙏

It was a pleasure to speak to Callum from the HALO Trust, who shared an amazing story from a Kandahar roadside in 2021.

Valeriia, a Field Officer with HALO Ukraine, has held a variety of roles with us since 2020. After training in Angola she is now back in Ukraine managing clearance teams. At the centre of what we do is a dedicated, skilled and courageous workforce and we're proud of Valeriia's journey with HALO! 👏

🧵 #HALO2024: As well as clearing the land of mines and explosive ordnance from current or recent conflicts, our work often includes removing dangerous items that have been undisturbed for many decades. 2024 was no different, and HALO teams made some dramatic finds last year:

Get to know HALO! 👋 Founded in Afghanistan in 1988, The HALO Trust now works in 30 countries and territories. Our work includes clearing mines and explosives, managing weapons and ammunition, and teaching people to stay safe. Learn more about us and our life-saving work: ➡️ www.halotrust.org

HALO's CEO, James Cowan, and @itvnews.bsky.social International Affairs Editor Rageh Omaar take an in-depth look at The Horn of Africa - a region often subject to media distortion where HALO Trust deminers are 'quietly getting on with saving lives.' Full article ⬇️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/horn-a...