• A MAG Lao roving team helps to prevent accidents by responding to villagers' reports of dangerous items throughout Nong Het district
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Team Leader Khuanengha talking with Mr Nor (third from left). [Photo: MAG Lao] |
Residents of Nam Gon Ngua village are likely to sleep better following a visit from a MAG roving team.
"When we needed to burn our field before replanting, we would do it at night because we were afraid of UXO [unexploded ordnance] exploding," said community member Mr Nor Bee Khang.
"Four months ago we burnt the field next to our house and there were two explosions. They woke us up."
Nam Gon Ngua village is heavily contaminated by UXO.
"In our village last year, four people have been killed and one person blinded. Two people were killed whilst looking for scrap metal and two were killed while digging for crabs in the mud," said Mr Nor.
The DFID (UK Department for International Development)-funded roving team helps to prevent further accidents by responding to villagers' reports of UXO throughout the district.
"We collected together reports of UXO from several community members in this village," explained Khuanengha, the team leader. "We have almost 70 items of UXO to demolish. The team will work in the village for three days.”
Links:
- Why does MAG work in Lao PDR?
- Lao PDR microsite
- DFID website [external site]
19 November 08
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