In Xieng Khouang province, Ber Lee, poignantly reflects on the tragic loss of his nine-year-old daughter, Kik, killed by a UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) while playing with her sister whose life was changed forever by the trauma and the scars she continues to carry. “I wish I would die instead of my daughter”, he says, capturing in a few words the deep, lasting impact of UXO contamination on families across the Lao PDR. Lao PDR is the most heavily bombed country per capita. There were 49 accidents in 2024 alone. Even though the numbers are falling, Laotians are still being killed, injured and disabled as a result of a conflict that ended 50 years ago. Of these, more than 60% are children. 

Besides the unacceptable and tragic human toll, UXO contamination prevents millions of Laotians from living and pursuing their livelihoods as they normally would. It hinders safe access to land, which must be surveyed and cleared before constructing a school, a hospital, a road or an industrial park. And potentially rich agricultural land is left unused in contaminated areas due to the risks of “bombies” explosions. As a result, economic opportunities that could spur growth and accelerate human development are restricted, complicated and made more expensive. And this affects the poorest disproportionately.

In 1996, with support from a UNDP-funded project, a nation-wide effort called the UXO Lao programme was launched in partnership with the Lao Government to deal with UXO clearance. UNDP core funding initially helped support the establishment of the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action (NRA) and the national UXO clearance operator, UXO Lao, which started UXO clearance.  UNDP took the lead in resource mobilization for the NRA and UXO Lao, and to this day, with its cost-sharing partners, supports institutional capacity building, as well as survey, clearance and risk education operations. 

Thoumma Syshomphan, a survivor of a 1970 bombing raid that claimed the lives of eleven villagers, endured further tragedy in 1989 when her husband and brother-in-law were killed by a UXO explosion while working their farm. Despite these immense losses, Thoumma continued to cultivate the same land, as millions of people in Lao PDR are compelled to do. After decades of hardship, the UNDP-led project cleared her land of UXO. “It feels like a weight has been lifted from our land”, she says. Today, thousands like Thoumma can walk and work freely on their farm without the constant anxiety of being harmed by UXO. 

Since 1996, the UNDP UXO programme[1] has cleared over 39,000 hectares of land (equivalent to 54,622 soccer fields) across 16 provinces, demolishing over 1 million UXO (including over 561,000 cluster munitions). More than 200 000 people each year have been able to safely access and use their land for farming and income-generating activities. 

UNDP has been working directly with the government, using its core resources in recent years to produce a series of research papers that help shape policies, set national standards, improve sector coordination and inform long-term strategic planning and sustainability. The success of the UNDP UXO programme has attracted numerous partners, including Australia, Canada, European Union, Ireland, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Türkiye and The Philippines[2]. Their collective support has been instrumental in scaling up clearance efforts and enhancing community resilience. 

The UNDP UXO programme is laying the foundation for a safer, more prosperous future. A notable example is the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Plain of Jars, transformed into a thriving tourist destination after UXO clearance funded by UNDP and other operators. Today, more than 40,000 visit the ancient stone jars annually, contributing to cultural preservation and local economic development.

UNDP’s commitment, supported by core funding, continues to create lasting change, allowing communities to thrive free from the threat of UXO. As land is cleared and risks are mitigated, new opportunities for agricultural growth, education, and infrastructure development emerge, fostering sustainable livelihoods and paving the way for long-term prosperity across Lao PDR. 
 

[1] According to NRA Dashboard 3^rd April 2025.

[2]Since 2017, UNDP has mobilized over USD 41 million for its UXO programme.