Protect Families in Ukraine

Alexander has farmed in Kharkiv, Ukraine for 40 years. Before the Russian invasion, Alexander's annual harvest was over 10 tons, which was exported to global markets. However, like the millions of pounds of equipment that have been destroyed, Alexander’s tractors are “just burnt-out shells." A grain store that held 3,000 tons of wheat last year is also now completely blown apart.

The area where Alexander farms was occupied by Russian troops between from March-September 2022. He says, “wherever you go, there are mines everywhere.” It is estimated that at least 1,700 of 2,000 hectares of Alexander’s land is contaminated. Alexander says, “If we can’t sow the fields, we cannot export crops or pay local landowners. If we could just sow 1,000 hectares. It is the poorest people who suffer the most…life in the village is built on the farmland. So please, come and help us clear the mines. Then we can begin to live.”

Alexander’s story shows the immense losses farmers in Ukraine have experienced since the start of the Russian invasion. HALO Ukraine is working tirelessly to ensure the safety of all Ukrainians. It is only thanks to your generosity that HALO can do this lifesaving work to support farmers and address food security.

It has been over a year into the war in Ukraine. As the country faces a humanitarian catastrophe, HALO is at the forefront of the effort to protect those affected by the war. Our supporters have made it possible for us to respond to the ever-changing situation in Ukraine.

Large areas of Ukraine are now heavily contaminated with various types of explosives. These include tripwire-initiated hand grenades, anti-personnel mines, and anti-vehicle mines. Crucial energy infrastructure has been targeted as well. The urban nature of much of the clearance (including booby-trapped homes) is different from the more traditional mine clearance work that our teams in Ukraine previously undertook, and we are recruiting and training staff to meet this challenge. Even after the fighting stops, dangerous unexploded landmines, cluster bombs, and rockets pose a high threat to millions of families looking to return home. As areas are liberated, the work of survey and clearance may begin— so families may return home and farmers may work their fields without fear.

We continue to educate thousands of Ukrainians on how to stay safe from dangerous and often hidden explosives. We are doubling our workforce to meet increasing needs for the removal and destruction of dangerous explosives littering streets, roads, gardens, fields, and buildings. We’ve used our technology to map safe passage for other humanitarian organizations delivering aid to thousands in need.

HALO staff are also continuing their work providing direct medical and humanitarian aid and mapping safe and hazardous areas to share with the public about what areas are not safe and to avoid.

Maryna lives in Lypiv Rih village in the Chernihiv region, and even after Russian troops withdrew from this area, life could not go back to normal because of the mines and explosives that remain.

“Our fear is still there. We cannot go in the bushes where we used to gather apples and cherries, as we are afraid something is still there. What if a child steps on it? Of course, it’s the fear, a great fear because we saw what it can result in and understood how dangerous it is.”

HALO’s teams are now working across the Chernihiv region, working to make this land safe so that families can return to their homes without fear.

Thanks to you, the impact of The HALO Trust has resulted in countless lives being saved. HALO teams have already made over 105 acres of land safe and continue to work hard in Ukraine to save lives.

The intense fighting in Ukraine is leaving dangerous explosives in its wake that continues to destroy lives. These include tripwire-initiated hand grenades, anti-personnel mines, and anti-vehicle mines.

With your support, the HALO Trust has made real progress in our emergency response to the ever-changing situation in Ukraine. We continue to educate thousands of Ukrainians on how to stay safe from dangerous and often hidden explosives. We are in the midst of a major expansion, doubling our workforce to meet increasing needs for the removal and destruction of unexploded explosives littering streets, roads, gardens, fields, and buildings. We currently have close to 640 staff in Ukraine and plan to increase again to 1,200 staff by the end of 2023.

The wide range of different ordnance types used in the war is presenting technical challenges that HALO is uniquely qualified to address. Our teams are finding multiple types of mines, trip wires, and other dangers all used together. Even though Ukraine has pushed back Russian forces, subsequent bombardments have resulted in extraordinary levels of explosive contamination across the country, which pose immediate threats to families in Ukraine.

Thanks to our donors, HALO teams have already made safe almost 70 acres of land, destroying 237 explosives, including anti-tank mines and cluster munitions. That is the size of over 39 soccer fields and is benefitting over 1,300 people directly and over 36,000 people indirectly. 

HALO has reached over 44,000 people with our risk education sessions, teaching people how to recognize, avoid, and report lethal explosive hazards.

We’ve also used our technology to map safe passage routes for other humanitarian organizations delivering aid to thousands in need.

The impact of The HALO Trust has resulted in many lives being saved. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who is supporting our work in Ukraine – thank you for making this possible. HALO teams continue to work hard in Ukraine to save lives, and we look forward to keeping you updated. 

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of our generous donors for supporting The HALO Trust’s life-saving work in Ukraine. You are making a huge difference for families in Ukraine – thank you!

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, a huge quantity of explosives and weaponry has been used in the conflict, including landmines, cruise missiles, cluster munitions, and mortars.

Many explosives do not work as intended and remain a threat to civilians in areas where the fighting has stopped. HALO's experience tells us that the greatest danger for civilians is when the fighting moves on, and people are desperate to return to their homes.

Every week authorities are reporting cases of civilians injured and killed by rockets and bombs left from the fighting. Explosives left behind by the fighting make the fields too dangerous for farmers to harvest their land. And explosives block access for other humanitarian aid organizations.

Thanks to you, HALO teams in Ukraine are now diligently working with the State Emergency Service to locate and destroy the deadly explosives that litter the streets from the war.

The urban nature of much of the clearance (including booby-trapped homes) is different from the more traditional mine clearance work that our teams in Ukraine previously undertook, and we are recruiting and training staff to meet this challenge. These new recruits are Ukrainian men and women, helping provide meaningful employment.  

HALO staff are also continuing their work providing risk education, direct medical and humanitarian aid, and mapping safe and hazardous areas to share with the public about what areas are not safe and to avoid.

You are protecting lives, making it possible for farmers to harvest their land to help tackle the global food crisis, and helping families recover. Thank you for making our work possible.

The war in Ukraine has now raged on for over a month, and civilians have suffered the most. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over 10 million people in Ukraine have been displaced from their homes. The use of landmines and explosive weapons has been widespread, and many remain unexploded, waiting to claim unsuspecting civilians as victims.

Your support is helping us scale up our operations to assist the international humanitarian response and address the contamination of unexploded items. We are utilizing our vehicles, supplies, medics, and resources to reach families who need help the most. Read on to learn more about the impact of your support:

Delivering Aid

Our local expertise allows us to help families in areas where few other international aid organizations can reach. HALO continues to support the humanitarian effort on the ground by delivering aid and supplies to local community centers across Ukraine. Because of your support, last week, we delivered three truckloads of baby food, diapers, and household supplies to Kramatorsk, a city in Donbas that is only 30 miles from the frontlines of eastern Ukraine.

Employing Ukrainians

Our highest priority has been to support the welfare and safety of our 400+ locally employed Ukrainian staff. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we continue to pay their salaries which allows them to feed and house their families. As we scale up operations, we plan to increase the size of our team and help more locals find meaningful employment.

Keeping Families Safe

Explosive weapons like cluster munitions regularly fail to detonate, leaving unsuspecting civilians vulnerable during and after the fighting. Since March, HALO has been reaching out to civilians to warn them what these hazards look like and how to avoid them. Our messaging has reached over 40 million people in Ukraine, nearly all of the population.

Mapping Unexploded Items & Identifying Safe Corridors

HALO is leveraging innovative technology to locate and map unexploded bombs and rockets. We are mapping areas contaminated with explosives so that humanitarian aid organizations and refugees know where it is safe to travel. It will also allow us to remove the unexploded bombs and rockets when there is a pause in the fighting.

Your support is making a real difference for families in Ukraine, right now. We cannot thank you enough.