Many Laotians have suffered from the consequences of a war that happened long before they were born.
© N. Lozano Juez / HI
Chue Por Vang, a young farmer, is one of them. His left arm was torn off by the explosion of a submunition that he picked up on his way to school when he was a kid. The province of Houaphan is heavily affected; it had the highest number of accidents in the country in 2018.
In Lao PDR, children are taught in schools about how dangerous explosive remnants are. Almost every week, new accidents occur in the country.
© P. Jérôme Kantoussan / HI
© N. Lozano Juez / HI
Risk education teams meet with residents to explain the risks of explosive remnants affecting
their land and surroundings. Many accidents can be avoided and lives saved thanks to these information sessions. Muang O, Houaphan province, Lao PDR.
A pile of rusted war material, most of it
submunitions, lie in a field near a metal foundry. Many accidents have happened there when items that were still dangerous exploded. Kieng Khouang Province, Laos, 2008.
© Jim Holmes/ ICRC
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