Lao PDR

Explosive ordnance contamination threatens lives, curtails freedom of movement, limits safe access to arable land, disenfranchises communities, and above all, instils fear and insecurity. The most vulnerable population groups as well as the women and girls are most affected.

Generations of people in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or Laos) have had to modify their way of life in order to escape the fear of UXO due to explosive remains of the war. The UXO legacy persisted even after the battle that had left it extensively contaminated ended in 1973. Lao PDR was subject to intensive aerial bombardment during the Indochina War (1964-1973). As per capita, Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world. During the war period, more than 580,000 bombing missions (or a bombing mission every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day, for 9 years) and wide-ranging ground battles, led to over 2 million tons of ordnance being dropped on Laos or nearly one ton for every man, woman and child in the population at the time. Over 270 million cluster munitions were used, of which there an estimated 80 million malfunctioned and remained live and buried in the Lao landscape after the war's end and an estimated 30 percent of bombies failed to detonate. Over 50,000 people have been killed or injured by UXO since 1964. Today, that same UXO continues to contaminate vast areas of the country; dangerously lying-in forests, rice fields, villages, school grounds, roads and other populated areas. As a result, more than 50 years after the end of war, UXOs still affects 15 of the 18 provinces across the country, which approximately 25% of Laos' 10,000 plus villages are UXO contaminated. Also, In the previous decade (2013-2023), 440 casualties were reported, resulting in 114 deaths (or equal to 25.9 percent of casualties).

Currently, despite huge advancements in the human and institutional capacity within the UXO Sector and the assistance from the international community from the international community, Laos still has a very significant UXO problem. The people still continue to be injured and killed by unexploded bombs hidden all across each province, even the clearance of land affected by UXO and the release of land through technical exploration continues to increase clearance each year, including risk education messaging reaches farther and wider than ever before.

The biggest problem is the threat posed by leftover cluster bombs. Currently, these make up roughly 50% of the type of UXO being found and cleared in Laos, and in the last decade they have caused approximately 30% of all UXO related accidents. The impact as a result of the lingering danger of UXO is multi-dimensional which is continuing number of accidents occurring and lives lost and\or injured. At the same time, the continued presence of UXO curtails the country's socio-economic development, local development, agricultural products, infrastructure construction and economic investment have all been negatively affected.

Due to the different gender roles of women and men in economic and domestic activities, their risk patterns vary, as does their knowledge of the location of UXOs. Men and boys are more often than women and girls the direct victims of death and injury from UXOs. For instance, according to the Information Management System for Mine Action, over 70 percent of UXO casualties in Lao PDR by the end of 2023 were men and boys. However, a significant number of women are indirect victims when their husbands or children are killed or maimed as they are obliged to assume the double role of sole breadwinner and carer.

The UN Gender Guidelines for Mine Action Programmes state that “including a gender perspective in mine action operations promotes gender equality in beneficiary communities, thus reducing overall social injustice and discrimination based on gender. The systematic increased engagement of both women and men in mine action operations as employees and decision-makers ensures that more women are able to contribute to the establishment of a more peaceful and stable society.”

In the Sector Strategic Plan: Safe Path Forward III 2021-2030, indicated the 2030 vision that Lao people live in an environment that is safer from UXO and can accelerate the socio-economic development of the country. The guiding principles, Safe Path Forward III was developed in line with policy directions, the Constitution, laws, national socio-economic development plans, conventions and international agreements that Lao PDR is a state party to in order to ensure equality, fairness, transparency and accountability, and the participation of all parties in society using modern tools and approaches. Also, the Overall Goal is to ensure safer lives and better livelihoods for targeted people through effectively addressing UXO as a barrier to national development by 2030. Additionally, it mentioned that “Gender mainstreaming is important for the UXO/Mine Action National Strategic Plan and work plans. Data needs to be disaggregated by sex and age, and women must be engaged in work planning and the implementation of projects”.