Laos Faces Centuries-Long Threat from 80 Million Unexploded Submunitions

Speaking at the 3rd Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (3RC-CCM), Mr. Bounpheng Sisavath, Head of the Office of the NRA for UXO/AXO in Lao PDR, revealed that Laos was subjected to over 580,000 bombing sorties during which more than 2 million tonnes of ordnance were dropped. Among the weapons used were 17 types of cluster submunitions, commonly known as “bombies,” with the BLU-26 considered among the most hazardous. A single dispenser could carry up to 670 submunitions, with the resulting blast affecting an area of approximately 100 by 100 metres. Technical assessments estimate that about 280 million bomblets were dropped on Laos, with an unexploded failure rate of up to 30%, leaving an estimated 80 million submunitions buried in soil, agricultural land, and residential areas. This presents a significant, long-term threat to the nation's development and the safety of its citizens. Over the past three decades, since 1996, clearance teams have destroyed more than 1.3 million bomblets and cleared over 100,000 hectares of contaminated land. However, the scale of the remaining contamination means that clearance at current rates could take hundreds of years, according to authorities. The enduring threat is particularly serious for rural communities, where people continue to work agricultural land and carry out daily activities in areas that may still contain unexploded devices. The NRA is therefore expanding risk education programmes nationwide, particularly among communities and schoolchildren. Mr. Bounpheng urged people to avoid high-risk activities such as lighting fires in areas that may contain UXO, digging unfamiliar ground, or touching, moving, or attempting to dismantle suspected explosive items. Any suspected UXO should be left undisturbed and reported to the relevant authorities. Ms. Luna Kvander Bruusgaard, Project Technical Officer for Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) in Laos, stated that the continued presence of UXO remains a serious humanitarian concern for communities across the country. Drawing on field visits and discussions with clearance teams and affected communities in Champasak, Attapeu, Sekong, and Xieng Khouang provinces, she noted that people continue to face UXO risks in their daily lives. She called for sustained, long-term international funding to maintain clearance operations and ensure that UXO programmes remain responsive to the needs of affected communities. For Laos, continued UXO clearance is not only a matter of removing remnants of war but also of making agricultural land and communities safer, supporting development, and protecting future generations from a threat that has persisted for decades. Lt. Col. Phonekeo Oradom, Head of the UXO Clearance and Disaster Relief Training Centre of the Lao People’s Army, also stated during a panel discussion at a side event of the 3rd Review Conference of the CCM that the national UXO clearance sector is gearing up for its first 10-year strategic plan, spanning from 2027 to 2036. Source: KPL Laos News