New Zealand announces UXO clearance package
New Zealand will provide US$7.2 million, one of the biggest single contributions made through the United Nations Development Programme, to Laos’ UXO sector. The funding will include trialling innovative New Zealand technology which destroys unexploded ordnance by melting casings without having to dig up or explode each piece, making it safer and easier to clear, particularly in densely populated or built up areas. The funding will allow for long-term planning by UXO Lao in Xieng Khuang province with financing certainty for the next four years. The announcement was made on September 8 by the Prime Minister of New Zealand Mr John Key during a visit to the UXO Lao Training Centre in Elay village, Naxaithong district, Vientiane. Mr Key said New Zealand has a strong legacy of supporting UXO clearance around the world, including for the past 20 years in Laos, and this funding will make a real difference to the safety and economic prospects of the people there.
