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Cambodia Diary
March 3, 2002
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War is hell, is not heaven. The bloodshed between Khmer and Khmer was not excepted. More than 2 decades of conflict pushed Cambodia to the point of zero if making compared with the countries in Asia as well as in the world. Cambodia is the poorest country because everything was totally destroyed. The legacy of conflict is landmines and unexploded ordnance.
The war was effectively brought to a halt by the Paris peace agreement of 1991 and the UN sponsored the general elections. This process was made international communities, the foreign donors, aid- development for Cambodia and other organizations flowed in to this impoverished country.
The Halo Trust is demining humanitarian commenced operations in Cambodia during October 1991. The aim of The Halo Trust Cambodia clearance operations are to save life and prevent injury and to return demined land to the communities. The mission of Halo Cambodia is to alleviate human suffering in former conflict areas of the country. Our role is to extend emergency relief in to areas where there is little or no other support and to sustain our operation under circumstances. The demining operations are being continued and extensive. According to clearance requested by delegations of government of Cambodia, The Halo Trust sent 5 sections of demining teams to Preah Vihear province. The priority of clearance is road access, school building and resettlement.
Every day of working cycle the demining teams get up early to prepare demining tools, rice packs, parade and take trucks to minefields. But other 3 sections and deputy program manager departed from Tomnop Dach to Preah Vihear temple on foot. For each deminer must carry his own bag with food water clothes and took 2 days to get there. Regarding demining equipment and things to supply operations were transported by helicopter.
They work very hard, started working at 7 o’clock in the morning and finish at 3 o’clock. The schedule of working is to work 24 to 25 days in a cycle and 6 to 7 days stand down (the day off).
In accordance with the annual clearance statistics, hundreds of thousands mines and unexploded ordnance were found and destroyed and returned demined land to the communities. The accomplishment tasks, the current tasks are being done well because of funds support from DFID, US State department, AAR/TBS and other donors to sustain demining humanitarian.
As Cambodian people we would like to express fully thanks, highly appreciation and strongly appeal for Japanese government, Association Aid for Refugees/ Television Broad casting Service keeps funding to The Halo Trust CAMBODIA.
Best regards
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