"Every step I took felt like a dance with death" - Demand Congress fund life-saving demining efforts in Cambodia and beyond
"Before HALO arrived, my fields were a graveyard of hidden dangers," says Ouk Noeurm, 58, a farmer and father of six. "Every step I took felt like a dance with death." Ouk's family has lived on their land in Cambodia for generations, but the remnants of war turned their fields into deadly terrain. For years, landmines buried beneath the soil threatened their livelihoods, safety, and dreams of a better future.
From the aftermath of past wars to the frontlines of today's conflicts, landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to endanger communities in Cambodia, Angola, Ukraine, and beyond. Children can't play safely, farmers can't plant crops, and families live in fear of every step. Globally, explosive remnants of war kill and injure thousands each year and prevent the recovery of communities already devastated by violence.
Demining programs restore hope, unlock land for safe use, and let families like Ouk's reclaim their futures. The United States has long been a global leader in supporting humanitarian mine action. Now is the time to reaffirm that leadership.
Tell Congress: Fund demining efforts that save lives and help communities rebuild after conflict.
Subject: Please sign the FY26 Global Demining Appropriations Letter
Dear Senator,
As your constituent and a supporter of The HALO Trust, I am writing to ask you to sign the Global Demining Appropriations to SFOPS leadership that supports greater funding for global humanitarian programs to remove landmines, IEDs, and other explosive hazards.
Landmines and other explosive remnants of war continue to endanger lives in 60 countries and territories, threatening global stability and U.S. economic and national security interests. CWD programs address the humanitarian impacts of landmines, IEDs, and other explosive remnants of war and combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons systems.
CWD programs make America safer by removing explosive hazards that threaten U.S. troops, Embassy staff, and other Americans in conflict areas, while providing safety for local civilians. CWD weapons security programs help keep weapons out of the hands of terrorist organizations that might target the U.S. or allies, and criminal gangs who operate across borders, fuel violence, and force families to flee their homes.
CWD programs make America stronger by building security partnerships in regions where the U.S. is competing with China for access and influence, and project American soft power by providing a direct benefit to local populations while deminers wear highly visible U.S. flags. Demining programs drive down global food costs by clearing agricultural land and transform conflict impacted countries into new markets for American companies – making America more prosperous.
Therefore, it is essential that you show your commitment to these lifesaving programs by signing the FY26 Global Demining Appropriations Letter.
I hope I can count on your support.
Sincerely,
[Name]
