iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

“The problem is monumental. There are so many affected regions. Every day we get calls from people begging us to clear their land." HALO’s Zakaria el-Othman spoke to @csmonitor.bsky.social as 'tens of thousands of displaced families' return home to land littered with explosives in #Syria.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Changing weather has led to land degradation, reduced water and biodiversity loss in Somaliland. Landmines further impact agriculture and clearance is often a first step in restoring land & livelihoods, though clearance can also impact the environment as vegetation is removed.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

For decades, #Jaffna was littered with landmines and cut off. We’ve been in #SriLanka since 2002 and have now cleared 300,000 mines, allowing the north of the island to open to tourists. As we celebrate our local deminers' incredible progress, join us on a tour of Jaffna, Sri Lanka's hidden gem:

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Reposted by The HALO Trust

GER on Peace & Humanitarian Action @aa-stabilisiert.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Germany is actively helping to increase security in Syria through our humanitarian demining partnerships with @thehalotrust.bsky.social and @hi-deutschland.bsky.social. Mines and unexploded ordnance pose a deadly threat to millions in Syria – both those still there and those hoping to return home.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

#Syria: Since the Assad regime fell last year, mine accidents have killed or injured over 1,000 people. Tragically, the true count may be much higher. Almost two million people who fled conflict in Syria have returned home to find their towns, villages and fields contaminated with deadly ordnance.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

🎥 "Landmines kill and maim long after wars end. The victims are often children." In this 'Talk to Al Jazeera' interview, our CEO James Cowan discusses all aspects of our life-saving work - from Ukraine to Afghanistan, Syria and beyond. Watch now on @al-jazeera-english.bsky.social bit.ly/4j9vZJS

aljazeera.com

James Cowan on clearing landmines and the legacy of war

Landmine-clearing NGO chief explains how explosives still kill in peacetime, why world is failing to clean up its wars.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Today is #VEDay80, marking 80 years since the end of #WWII in Europe. While VE Day saw a huge outpouring of joy, we know from our experience of clearing conflict zones all over the world that the threat of unexploded bombs, mines and munitions lives on long after the fighting stops.

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Reposted by The HALO Trust

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining–GICHD @thegichd.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

⭐Can you push the boundaries of innovation in risk management mine action? Have groundbreaking ideas with real-world impact? There is still time to submit your ideas for our GICHD Innovation Award 2025! Apply by 20 May 2025 (extended deadline) 👇 link.gichd.org/InnovationAw...

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

In 2020, HALO cleared mines from Christ's Baptism Site on the banks of the River Jordan, allowing worshippers to safely return to a site that had been abandoned for 50 years. We were honoured that Pope Francis acknowledged our work, as we mourn his passing and thank him for his commitment to peace.

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Reposted by The HALO Trust

Aivo Orav @euambks.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

In Bajgorë/a, land once filled with landmines is now home to cottages, hikers, and wind turbines. Thanks to @npaid.bsky.social, @thehalotrust.bsky.social, Kosovo Mine Action Centre, with EU support, land is safely returned to communities, creating new opportunities for tourism, green energy &jobs.

Closing ceremony of Demining Project in Bajgorë/Bajgora

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Thank you to @news.dw.com, who observed our expert deminers' work in #Syria, where "nearly a third of the population are affected by explosive contamination." Families are returning home after the fall of Assad to find their land littered with deadly hazards: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NE1...

youtube.com

Syria faces painstaking task of clearing wartime landmines | DW News

YouTube video by DW News

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

🎥 “#Syria is at a crossroads." "There’s a huge opportunity for HALO and everyone in the sector to make a massive difference in the lives of Syrians and really address the problem of mine contamination at scale.” HALO’s Nick Torbet, speaking from the 🇨🇭 #NDMUN28 Mine Action Conference:

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

This week, we’re in 🇨🇭 Geneva for the #NDMUN28 Mine Action Conference. Today, we’re hosting a side event with @undp.org, @unep.org and @germany.diplo.de, discussing how demining operators can best support reconstruction in urban environments devastated by conflict. ➡️ bit.ly/3G0Af0i

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Reposted by The HALO Trust

GER on Peace & Humanitarian Action @aa-stabilisiert.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Jeder Schritt abseits gesicherter Wege kann tödlich sein: In über 60 Ländern bedrohen #Minen und Kampfmittelrückstände Menschenleben. Mit unserer Unterstützung für Minenräumung, Aufklärung und Opferfürsorge schaffen wir sichere Räume für Millionen Menschen. #MineAction

Nour Mari, die bei HALO in Syrien arbeitet, markiert die Stelle von nicht-explodierter Munition.

Copyright: HALO Trust

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

🧵(1/2): Today, a delegation of ambassadors will trace Princess Diana's footsteps in Huambo, 🇦🇴 Angola, where HALO’s demining has transformed the area beyond recognition. In 1997, Diana walked through what was a minefield. It was a walk that forced the world to sit up and take notice.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

12 HALO staff have successfully completed Explosive Ordnance (EOD) training in #Syria. Thanks to @germany.diplo.de funding, those staff will begin their life-saving work next month - protecting communities who are returning home to find their land contaminated with deadly explosives.

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Reposted by The HALO Trust

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 29/03/2025

The highest concentration of unexploded devices is along old frontlines in Aleppo and Idlib, @thehalotrust.bsky.social found. Here, Assad forces uprooted olive trees, made earth barricades, planted mines and booby traps to cause maximum harm. @thenewarab.bsky.social www.newarab.com/features/syr...

newarab.com

Syrians returning home confront the terror of hidden explosives

Amidst the rubble of a devastated Syria, millions of civilians are confronted by the hidden dangers of explosive devices, hindering their attempts to rebuild

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

The German Foreign Office (GFFO - @germany.diplo.de) supports HALO with a €5M grant to boost demining in #Syria. Our CEO James Cowan said: “We're extremely grateful to the GFFO. As millions of Syrians return, this funding will help avoid deaths and injuries." Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4c1Y8R4

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

HALO Global Ambassador Josh Kennedy-White visited #Afghanistan to witness our work first-hand. In this LinkedIn article, Josh reflects on a land that "bears the deep scars of past conflicts," where HALO's clearance work is a vital first step for a safer, more prosperous future. ➡️ bit.ly/4iUHgOg

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

"It’s minus 14 degrees, a sunny February day and - words I never thought I’d ever write - I’m walking through a live minefield in the most mined country in the world." HALO was delighted to host Rachel Johnson in Bervytsia village, Ukraine for @lbc.co.uk: www.lbc.co.uk/opinion/view...

lbc.co.uk

Ukraine’s mine-ridden ghost villages are being reclaimed - but it's the deadliest job in the world

It’s minus 14 degrees, a sunny February day and - words I never thought I’d ever write - I’m walking through a live minefield in the most mined country in the world.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

🎥 Three years of war in #Ukraine has left huge amounts of land contaminated with deadly mines and explosives. HALO will continue to make the land safe so families can return home and farmers can grow grain - building a more secure future for the people of Ukraine:

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

💡 “Working with Amazon Web Services and using AI will transform the way we work," says Matthew Abercrombie, Head of Research and Development at The HALO Trust. As part of AWS's Pioneers Project, Matthew discusses HALO’s use of drones and AI to clear landmines more quickly: bit.ly/4kcC6P1

bit.ly

The HALO Trust is helping eradicate the dangers of landmines

HALO is working with AWS to clear landmines faster using drone technology and AI.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

🎥 Whatever the future holds for #Ukraine, The HALO Trust will be at the cutting edge of mine clearance technology - keeping farmers and families safe and paving the way for a more secure and prosperous future. ⬇️

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

A rising star saving lives in Angola. ✨ Rita Vambe's journey with HALO began as a deminer before she rose to the role of Sub-unit Commander, leading teams to make land safe for communities in Cuito Cuanavale. "I joined HALO to help rid my country of landmines," says Rita.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

The HALO Trust's vital work, clearing landmines and explosives to protect lives and livelihoods, is featured in this Positive News piece: www.positive.news/society/thre...

positive.news

Three good things: projects clearing up junk that’s hidden from view

What’s being done to tackle other types of man-made pollution that are largely hidden from view?

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

UK investment in Benguela, #Angola, is helping drive growth and development – all made possible by HALO's work. Between 2007-08, HALO cleared mines from Catumbela Airport, paving the way for economic development and progress. Today, Benguela is thriving: bit.ly/3EI0ZSt

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

🎥 @al-jazeera-english.bsky.social report on the dangers of deadly mines and explosives in Syria. HALO's Syria Programme Manager Damian O’Brien discusses the "huge increase in accidents as people return to their land" after the fall of the Assad regime in December ⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ef...

youtube.com

Landmines, unexploded munitions remain a deadly threat in Syria

YouTube video by Al Jazeera English

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Clearing deadly explosives should be a key goal of @munsecconf.bsky.social. “From the vast grainfields of Ukraine to the former front lines in Syria, removing landmines builds security, enhances stability and saves lives,” said HALO CEO James Cowan. #MSC2025 More➡️ www.halotrust.org/latest/halo-...

halotrust.org

Ukraine's minefields must be a priority at Munich meeting

Landmine clearance is key to enhancing security and stability in Ukraine.

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Reposted by The HALO Trust

Gergana Krasteva @gerganakrasteva.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

I spoke with Mouiad Alnofaly, @thehalotrust.bsky.social operations manager in Syria for @metro.co.uk His team consists of only 40 deminers. He says that at least 400 more are needed to clear Syria, otherwise the operation will take decades.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

🧵(1/2) Landmine crisis spirals in Syria. ⚠️ Displaced people are returning home to find their land contaminated with deadly explosives. In the past week alone, 39 adults and 8 children have died in accidents involving mines and explosives - figures likely to be a serious underestimate.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

HALO's Paul McCann for @thenationalnews.com from Syria, where "we are dealing with 10 times the number of call-out requests" than before the Assad regime fell, as displaced people are returning home to "unprecedented levels of deadly explosives" on their land: www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...

thenationalnews.com

How Syria's minefields jeopardise hope for a better life after war’s end | The National

Witness Paul McCann sees his Halo Trust colleagues offer help to a displaced population returning to bombed-out homes on mine-strewn land

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

HALO welcomed Catherine West to Sri Lanka to learn more about our vital work. UK funding has been key to HALO’s efforts to remove explosives following the civil war, allowing displaced people to return home safely and rebuild their lives. With thanks to the British High Commission in Sri Lanka.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

HALO Afghanistan was delighted to host Dr. Mirdef Ali Al-Qashouti, acting Qatari Charge D'affaires to Afghanistan. We discussed the challenges of removing deadly explosives and demonstrated the use of body armour and various pieces of equipment. With thanks to the Qatar Embassy in Kabul.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

🧵1/2: “We never thought we’d get our land back. Having our own land allows us to look to the future with hope,” says Kiddan Mangalaeswaran from Muhamalai, Sri Lanka. For decades, Kiddan's land in Muhamalai was inaccessible, due to the presence of mines from the civil war.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

🎥 "It's been so exciting to see HALO's work, which is changing lives right around the world." Thank you to International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds for visiting our Scottish HQ today, as the UK government are set to to provide £7m in new funding for our life-saving our work.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Supporting recovery in 🇱🇾 #Libya. HALO teams recently cleared a second bunker in as many months at the Misrata Air College, where a series of explosions took place in 2020. Our work in aiding Misrata’s recovery is made possible by funding from the US State Department and other partners.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

The @newyorker.com report on how HALO #Ukraine's life-saving work "will continue long after the fighting is over." The huge task of demining is laid bare as "NASA found that in 2024, 5.9 million acres - nearly 8% - of Ukraine’s cropland lay abandoned.” ⬇️ www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

newyorker.com

The Dangerous Work of Clearing Russia’s Deadly Mines from Ukrainian Lands

Donald Trump has promised to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine, but Russian troops have already booby-trapped the country with thousands of mines that will take years to remove.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

28 years ago, Princess Diana famously walked through a minefield with HALO in #Angola. Years later, Prince Harry made the same journey, "taking up her cause and detonating a landmine myself," as he praised the "wonderful transformation" of the demined area: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/...

dailymail.co.uk

The moment Harry felt 'closer' to his mother during 2019 landmine trip

Princess Diana made her historic trip to Angola 28 years ago today, where she walked through an active minefield. It is a cause that her son Harry has continued to triumph.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

“#Afghanistan faces a paradox of reduced donor support and increase in humanitarian need," says a HALO spokesperson. This @rferl.org.web.brid.gy piece outlines the urgent need to fund land clearance in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of mine casualties: www.rferl.org/a/afghanista...

rferl.org

As Land Mines Kill More Afghans, Deminers Face Funding Crisis

Hundreds of Afghans are killed and injured every year by land mines left behind during four decades of wars in their country. Now, reduced international funding is forcing demining agencies to cut the...

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

"There's a huge amount of mines - tragically there have been cases of entire families being wiped out. HALO only has 40 deminers on the ground." HALO's Mouiad Alnofaly calls for a "huge international effort" for funding mine clearance in #Syria. 🎧 BBC Sounds: ➡️ www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

We welcome David Lammy’s strong commitment to tackling rising global conflict. HALO is at the frontline, responding to challenges arising from conflict - we look forward to working closely with FCDO to build safer and more prosperous lives in places affected by conflict: www.gov.uk/government/s...

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy visiting HALO Laos in July 2024

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

An urgent call for funding in #Syria. Over 80 civilians, including 12 children, have been killed by mines and explosives in the month since Bashar Al Assad was toppled, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights figures that are certainly an underestimate. www.halotrust.org/latest/halo-...

halotrust.org

LEGACY OF SYRIAN WAR STILL CAUSING MASS DEATH AND INJURY

At least 80 civilians, including 12 children, have been killed by landmines and other explosive debris of war in the month since the the fall of the Assad Government. HALO is calling for a major fundi...

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

A rising star in Angola! 🌟 Jussara has risen through the ranks at HALO, from deminer to medic, team leader and now supervisor. Protecting citizens is exactly what motivates her: “I'm happy that my province Benguela is now free of mines. I’m proud that I could help the clearance with my own work."

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Training for veterans in #Ukraine. 💙 HALO Ukraine recently welcomed participants of a pilot scheme launched by @undp.org for veterans injured by explosives. The training focuses on using drones to collect and analyse imagery for clearing mines, offering opportunities in humanitarian work. 🙏

Injured veterans receive training on using drones

The training will offer opportunities in humanitarian work

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Valeriia, a Field Officer with HALO Ukraine, has held a variety of roles with us since 2020. After training in Angola she is now back in Ukraine managing clearance teams. At the centre of what we do is a dedicated, skilled and courageous workforce and we're proud of Valeriia's journey with HALO! 👏

Valeriia (centre) during a recce of a future clearance area in Ukraine

Valeriia conducting an EOD Task assessment during training

Students being instructed on Team equipment

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

🧵 #HALO2024: As well as clearing the land of mines and explosive ordnance from current or recent conflicts, our work often includes removing dangerous items that have been undisturbed for many decades. 2024 was no different, and HALO teams made some dramatic finds last year:

HALO teams safely disposing of the grenades

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Get to know HALO! 👋 Founded in Afghanistan in 1988, The HALO Trust now works in 30 countries and territories. Our work includes clearing mines and explosives, managing weapons and ammunition, and teaching people to stay safe. Learn more about us and our life-saving work: ➡️ www.halotrust.org

halotrust.org

The HALO Trust

Our mission is to protect lives & restore livelihoods. By clearing landmines & other explosives we help countries recover after conflict. Find out more.

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The HALO Trust @thehalotrust.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

HALO's CEO, James Cowan, and @itvnews.bsky.social International Affairs Editor Rageh Omaar take an in-depth look at The Horn of Africa - a region often subject to media distortion where HALO Trust deminers are 'quietly getting on with saving lives.' Full article ⬇️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/horn-a...

linkedin.com

The Horn of Africa – it’s not just Band Aid and Black Hawk Down

By ITN Foreign Correspondent Rageh Omaar and James Cowan, CEO of The HALO Trust. The mass media sometimes paints distorted pictures.

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