Thousands displaced by Laos floods at risk from ‘moving’ landmines
Much of Laos is still contaminated by landmines, despite decades of clearance efforts, with about 300 new casualties each year, many of them children
Thousands of people in Laos, whose homes were swept away when a dam burst, are sheltering in areas contaminated by landmines, humanitarians said, as floods and mud hamper aid delivery.
The United Nations said this week that 34 people were reported dead, 97 were missing and 6,000 had been evacuated due to flash floods that followed the collapse of a hydropower dam in Laos last month.
Attapeu Province in southern Laos is “highly contaminated” by unexploded ordnance, it said, with almost 320 hectares (791 acres) in Sanamxay district, where people are sheltering in camps, “confirmed hazardous areas”.
“There’s a real danger that explosive items on or in the ground will have moved,” said Blossum Gilmour, country director for Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a British charity that works to clear unexploded ordnance, said.
“Areas which have been cleared of bombs may need re-clearing … But also, as people are evacuated from their homes, they may be relocated to places which have not yet been cleared.”