Irish agriculture minister of state Noel Grealish presents demining equipment to Sophie Schillings, HALO deputy programme manager. HALO Trust
Noel Grealish, Minister of State at Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has announced that this year, the Irish government will provide €800,000 ($865,000) of funding to support the HALO Trust’s mine clearance efforts in Cambodia.
The minister is visiting the Kingdom this week as part of a programme to mark Ireland’s National Day, St. Patrick’s Day.
He announced the funding during a visit to the HALO Trust operations base in Siem Reap province. He also presented the trust with a vehicle and essential demining equipment.
“Disarmament is a cornerstone of Ireland’s foreign policy and Ireland plays a leading role worldwide in efforts to promote disarmament and non-proliferation. As part of this global commitment, Ireland has supported HALO Trust’s mine clearance programme in Cambodia for 30 years,” explained a statement from the Irish embassy in Vietnam, which is responsible for Cambodia.
“Over that time, this support has cleared 361 villages of 31,343 landmines, returning over 3,684 hectares of land to communities for agricultural use and sustainable development,” it added.
The latest funds from Ireland will support the work of six of the HALO Trust’s mine clearance teams, as well as a survey/explosive ordnance disposal team and a risk education team, for the next twelve months.
“Ireland is proud to support the lifesaving work of the HALO Trust in Cambodia. The legacy of landmines here continues to threaten communities, preventing safe access to land and livelihoods. Through this funding of €800,000, and the provision of a vehicle and critical demining equipment, we are having a real impact on the lives of communities in Cambodia today, while also benefiting future generations and helping to make Cambodia a safer place for all,” said Grealish, during the handover ceremony.
HALO Trust Cambodia country manager Tobias Hewitt welcomed the support.
“We are very grateful to the government of Ireland for this generous funding and the provision of vital equipment. This support will directly contribute to saving lives by allowing us to clear more landmines and make land safe for families to live and work on,” he said.
“Every mine removed means a family can farm their land and their children can walk to school without fear. Ireland’s commitment to humanitarian mine action is truly making a difference in Cambodia,” he added.
