Support and Protect Families in Afghanistan

In May, HALO celebrated another milestone in its efforts to free Afghanistan of explosive ordnance – having safely disposed of 5,000 IEDs since IED clearance began in 2018.

IEDs function in a similar way to conventional landmines but are more complex due to their improvised and inconsistent nature. The key difference is that they are “homemade”, often utilizing nails, glass, or metal in addition to explosives.

Numerous clinics and schools have been forced to close due to the threat of IEDs. In a country where public services are limited, this leaves entire communities without access to healthcare or educational facilities. So far, HALO’s IED clearance has made three clinics and 14 schools safe, benefiting thousands of people every day.

One of these clinics, Yaklinga clinic, is in the village of Haji Ismail. During the conflict, the military repurposed Yaklinga clinic as a checkpoint, forcing the clinic staff to evacuate. During the fighting, the clinic was heavily damaged, and the surrounding area littered with IEDs. Once the conflict ended, the clinic remained closed. Local communities were left with no option but to travel for hours to receive healthcare.

In September 2022, The HALO Trust cleared the clinic compound of IEDs. Following HALO’s clearance, another charity was able to reconstruct the clinic building and restore health services, leading to the clinic’s reopening in January 2023. Since then, doctors have provided healthcare services to over 15,000 people.

Abdul, who brought his wife to the clinic to give birth, expressed relief that they no longer had to endure a four-hour journey to reach the nearest health facility in Tirin Kot.

“We faced lots of difficulties before, but now we can receive treatment at the clinic. My wife received treatment here four times during her pregnancy,” Abdul explained.

Dr. Agha explains that the clinic now offers community nutrition services, maternity care, psychological support, and other outpatient health services. The re-opening of the clinic has created employment opportunities for 25 people within the local community.

Clearance of IEDs is crucial to saving lives in Afghanistan, creating a safe and accessible environment, empowering communities, and delivering life-saving assistance to those in need. Thank you to everyone supporting HALO's important work here. 

This doctor clinic in Jaghatu district is surrounded by steep mountains is nestled at the bottom of a place known by locals as ‘blood valley.’ It is situated on a main supply route, which made it an important military position for warring groups. Additionally, the clinic itself and the well located within the clinic’s walls were used frequently by fighters for the last forty years.

This clinic is heavily relied on by the community. Over 50 people visit it every day for medical treatment. But this comes at a risk. Simply visiting a doctor in blood valley requires men, women, and children to walk through an IED field. IEDs were even buried within the clinic walls.

Writing scrawled on the side of the clinic says: 'This clinic has been mined, enter at your own risk'

A local guard who has worked there for over 25 years told HALO they have witnessed at least eight accidents from IEDs over the last year alone around the clinic.

The HALO Trust started clearing this area in August. HALO deminers are hard at work each morning making the clinic safe, pausing in the afternoon so that the clinic can open. So far, they have found and destroyed 5 IEDs.

To make the clinic safe, HALO deminers will need to clear almost 9 acres of land. And so far, 2.5 acres have been made safe.