Less US funding for UXO clearing
The United States has warned Cambodia it may have to shoulder more responsibility for the cost of clearing mines from its territory, ending an era in which Washington has carried the bulk of the cost of removing mines and other explosives after the Vietnam War spilled over into Cambodia. United States Ambassador William A Heidt on May 16 told Cambodian land mine clearance officials that new priorities had emerged, which would mean Phnom Penh and nongovernment donors taking more of the cost of mine clearing. His comments come after leaks from the State Department suggested the US could cut development assistance to Cambodia to zero beginning next year. Right now the US is the largest contributor to the cost of mine clearance worldwide. Heidt spoke to Cambodian landmine officials and donor nations assessing Cambodia’s draft National Mine Action Strategy from 2018 to 2025. He noted the US had contributed $120 million in Cambodian mine clearance since 1993.
