Clearing Explosive Hazards in Nagorno Karabakh

Thank you to all of our generous donors for supporting HALO’s work in Nagorno Karabakh.

Since the November 2020 ceasefire, over 55,000 displaced people have returned to Nagorno Karabakh to begin rebuilding their lives. But lives continue to be threatened by unexploded cluster munitions, artillery, and rockets leftover from the conflict.

As families return to their homes, they find explosives in yards, on roofs, and balconies. About 67% of returnees say that they do not feel safe, and the massive amount of unexploded ordnance continues to prevent communities from rebuilding critical infrastructure such as schools, roads, and homes.

Since our last update, HALO has scaled up efforts to clear explosive hazards and keep families safe as they return to their homes. HALO is deploying over 150 staff immediately and then will need to expand further to around 200-250 staff.  As of mid-March, our current teams have been sent on 133 callouts to reported explosives and destroyed 898 cluster munitions, 18,583 bullets, and 1,018 other explosives.

We have also reached over 5,500 people with risk education, teaching them how to identify and avoid dangerous explosives that surround their homes and communities.

HALO’s program in Nagorno Karabakh has traditionally relied on U.S. Government funding that expired in March 2020. Our life-saving work is sustained entirely by private donations, so your support truly makes a difference for families in Karabakh as they recover from this conflict.

There is much more work left to do to help build a safe future for families in Nagorno Karabakh, and we look forward to keeping you updated throughout the year ahead.

Thank you for making our work possible!

As the dust settles in Nagorno Karabakh, one thing is clear - even though the fighting has stopped people still remain in immediate danger. A massive amount of live explosives lay scattered throughout the region. We have already received confirmed reports of accidents involving cluster munitions that have killed civilians. 

Everyday, more and more refugees from Armenia cross the Lachin corridor to return home. If these deadly devices are left unaddressed, more lives will be lost and recovery becomes impossible. 

Since the conflict started in September, HALO has been on the ground helping civilians and removing unexploded threats. A ceasefire now holds and we are mobilizing a large-scale effort to clear the Armenian-controlled territories of Nagorno Karabakh of explosive hazards. 

We have deployed our available staff to immediately begin working in Stepanakert, Martuni, and Martakert, all of which experienced heavy shelling. We are conducting a large-scale risk education campaign in which HALO staff are reaching thousands of civilians and alerting them how to identify and avoid the dangerous explosives surrounding their homes. We have also deployed several teams to locate and destroy unexploded items before they can cause harm.

Our work has only just begun, and we are planning to vastly expand our team and scale-up our operations. But we first need your help to build a safe future for thousands of families. 

Please support our work in Karabakh this Giving Tuesday and this holiday season.