By Julia Tibbetts | Philanthropy & Communications
In 2019, Belandhawa was the site of a NATO base. Once the base was handed over to former Afghan forces, the conflict intensified, leaving the village with widespread explosive contamination. Since then, Salih, his family of 10, and the community have since been unable to freely use the land and roads to travel and work.
As a result, the people of Belandhawa have been forced to use contaminated roads to travel to the nearby city of Lashkargah. This travel on unsafe roads has led to an increase in IED-related accidents. Sadly, Salih’s family has suffered the consequences of one of these accidents. Salih said, “my son, Mir Allam, was traveling on a road when he was hit by an IED. He is still suffering from the injuries.”
In March 2023, HALO teams started operations to clear Belandhawa of IEDs and explosives. Once deterred by the dangers that IEDs posed to his life, Salih is now using the cleared land to farm. He now says, “I’ve planted wheat and cotton across my land.” He also highlighted that now, people can safely use the roads to travel, estimating about 200 families across Belandhawa who are living safer and more rewarding lives.
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