Protect Families in Ukraine

The intense fighting in Ukraine is leaving dangerous explosives in its wake that continues to destroy lives. These include tripwire-initiated hand grenades, anti-personnel mines, and anti-vehicle mines.

With your support, the HALO Trust has made real progress in our emergency response to the ever-changing situation in Ukraine. We continue to educate thousands of Ukrainians on how to stay safe from dangerous and often hidden explosives. We are in the midst of a major expansion, doubling our workforce to meet increasing needs for the removal and destruction of unexploded explosives littering streets, roads, gardens, fields, and buildings. We currently have close to 640 staff in Ukraine and plan to increase again to 1,200 staff by the end of 2023.

The wide range of different ordnance types used in the war is presenting technical challenges that HALO is uniquely qualified to address. Our teams are finding multiple types of mines, trip wires, and other dangers all used together. Even though Ukraine has pushed back Russian forces, subsequent bombardments have resulted in extraordinary levels of explosive contamination across the country, which pose immediate threats to families in Ukraine.

Thanks to our donors, HALO teams have already made safe almost 70 acres of land, destroying 237 explosives, including anti-tank mines and cluster munitions. That is the size of over 39 soccer fields and is benefitting over 1,300 people directly and over 36,000 people indirectly. 

HALO has reached over 44,000 people with our risk education sessions, teaching people how to recognize, avoid, and report lethal explosive hazards.

We’ve also used our technology to map safe passage routes for other humanitarian organizations delivering aid to thousands in need.

The impact of The HALO Trust has resulted in many lives being saved. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who is supporting our work in Ukraine – thank you for making this possible. HALO teams continue to work hard in Ukraine to save lives, and we look forward to keeping you updated. 

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of our generous donors for supporting The HALO Trust’s life-saving work in Ukraine. You are making a huge difference for families in Ukraine – thank you!

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, a huge quantity of explosives and weaponry has been used in the conflict, including landmines, cruise missiles, cluster munitions, and mortars.

Many explosives do not work as intended and remain a threat to civilians in areas where the fighting has stopped. HALO's experience tells us that the greatest danger for civilians is when the fighting moves on, and people are desperate to return to their homes.

Every week authorities are reporting cases of civilians injured and killed by rockets and bombs left from the fighting. Explosives left behind by the fighting make the fields too dangerous for farmers to harvest their land. And explosives block access for other humanitarian aid organizations.

Thanks to you, HALO teams in Ukraine are now diligently working with the State Emergency Service to locate and destroy the deadly explosives that litter the streets from the war.

The urban nature of much of the clearance (including booby-trapped homes) is different from the more traditional mine clearance work that our teams in Ukraine previously undertook, and we are recruiting and training staff to meet this challenge. These new recruits are Ukrainian men and women, helping provide meaningful employment.  

HALO staff are also continuing their work providing risk education, direct medical and humanitarian aid, and mapping safe and hazardous areas to share with the public about what areas are not safe and to avoid.

You are protecting lives, making it possible for farmers to harvest their land to help tackle the global food crisis, and helping families recover. Thank you for making our work possible.