In 2023, The HALO Trust worked in some of the world's most dangerous regions. Thanks to you, we’ve made real progress. This annual Impact Report highlights what we’ve achieved together this year—and the work that still lies ahead.
Watch a special message from James Cowan, Chief Executive of The HALO Trust.
Your impact in numbers
We do more than clear mines. We help communities rebuild. Across the world, clearing land has led to more farming, more school attendance, and more secure incomes. Families are thriving on the land you helped make safe.
In Angola...
Cleared land means better harvests. Farmers are growing more food, like maize, tomatoes, beans, and potatoes, helping feed their families and sell crops for extra income.
In Cambodia...
94% of families said their incomes rose after mine clearance. With safer land, food is more secure.
In Zimbabwe...
Six communities saw an 80% increase in land ownership after clearance. Schools are filling up again, with a 50% increase in attendance, as cleared routes make the journey safer for kids.
This year, we reached new milestones thanks to your ongoing support. Together, we’re creating safer, stronger communities. Your generosity is making an enormous difference.
From the minefields of Ukraine to the earthquake-hit villages of Afghanistan, our teams are leading the charge – turning crises into opportunities for recovery.
Scroll to discover what your support made possible in 2023.
Milestone Moments
ANGOLA
EDUCATION FILLS THE VOID OF 1,000 FORMER MINEFIELDS
AFGHANISTAN
CLINICS AND SCHOOLS REOPEN AFTER 5,000 IEDS CLEARED
LAOS
100,000 UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE CLEARED
More than 15,000 people have received healthcare services since it reopened post-clearance in 2023.
Scroll to see the transformation.
Top Photos of 2023
- Deminers return from a minefield on the banks of the Lomba river in southern Angola. Nearly half of the deminers working for The HALO Trust in Angola are women. Photo by Tommy Trenchard for The HALO Trust.
- With mine clearance complete, Coco the sheep now safely grazes in the Nasa indigenous reservation, providing wool for the community. Cauca Valley, Colombia.
- Students in Zimbabwe participate in an explosive ordnance risk education class, learning essential safety practices while improving their English skills with Happy Readers.
- Every family fleeing their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh brought whatever was most precious to them. This family brought a lemon tree. Kornidzor, Syunik province, Armenia, Photo by Scout Tufankjian.
- Lilia Haynatulina, a deminer and medic, kneels while working in Velyka Dymerka, Ukraine. HALO has been clearing this area since June 2022, allowing farmers to replant their fields.
- Honiara’s Barana Village Museum exhibits WWII war relics, such as this mechanical time fuse, used to control the detonation timing of various types of ordnance, like artillery shells or bombs. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
- Over one third of Ukraine is suspected to be contaminated with landmines and explosive hazards. Nearly 6.5 million acres of the country’s farmland has been impacted, leaving crops like this corn to rot in the fields, too dangerous to harvest. Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine.
As we celebrate 2023, we know there’s more to do. Together, we can build a future of safety, education, and opportunity. Your support goes beyond clearing mines—it’s laying the foundation for a world free from conflict.
Read the full HALO 2023 Annual Impact Report to see how you are building a safer world.