Over 30 pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) was recovered in a clearance site in Gio Hai commune, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province

A staff at a disposal site in Gio Hai commune, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province. Source: NPA/RENEW

Just within one working day, the Norwegian People’s Aid/RENEW clearance teams on Tuesday found 31 explosive items, including cluster munitions and other explosive ordnance, most of which was uncovered from a cache.

The team safely destroyed these explosive munitions on-site before their working day ended.

This was the first task conducted by the teams after resuming operations following a two-week break to celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

A staff carefully uncovers explosive ordnance found from a cache on the clearance site in Gio Hai commune, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province. Source: NPA/RENEW

Local authorities of Gio Hai commune have already started building a new road across the areas where the teams have cleared.

In January 2022, the two NPA/RENEW teams cleared a total of 73,000 square meters and safely destroyed 65 explosive munitions in Nhi Trung village.

This clearance task is expected to be completed in September 2022 and safe land will be released for 1,065 community members to expand their livestock farms and build new roads for resettlement.

It was a long working day but all of the team members were very happy because a potential threat to the local population had finally been removed. Source: NPA/RENEW

RENEW is a cooperative programme between Quang Tri and foreign NGOs to restore the environment and address the consequences of war, especially UXOs. The main foreign partner in the programme now is the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

From 1954 to 1972, Ben Hai River in Quang Tri was a temporary demarcation line between the south and north Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Quang Tri, as a result, suffered the most bombings throughout the war that lasted from 1955 to 1975, with over 81% of its area contaminated by explosive remnants of war.

UXOs have killed over 3,430 people and injured 5,100 so far during peace-time.

2018 was the first year Quang Tri reported no accidents from bombs and mines.

The central province is striving to, by 2025, become the first province in Vietnam to be safe from UXO left over by the war.

The province has cooperated since 1995 with international organizations such as PeaceTrees Vietnam, the Mines Advisory Group, Clear Path International, and the Norwegian People’s Aid on clearing UXO.

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