World Mine Awareness Day, April 4th: Implementing the Safe State Model

Cooperation in Demining

Established in August 2018, the MAT 19 team is the only all-female demining team among the 40 teams deployed by the Mine Advisory Group (MAG) in Quang Tri Province. Comprising 14 members, including 13 women, they are tasked with clearing unexploded ordnance from the war using specialized equipment. Over a year later, they located, detected, and detonated hundreds of different types of unexploded munitions, allowing people to safely reclaim hundreds of thousands of square meters of land for cultivation.

After the war, Quang Tri Province was heavily contaminated with landmines and unexploded munitions, affecting a vast area and presenting a high level of complexity. This situation directly impacted the security of the population, agricultural and forestry production, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development, with approximately 620,000 contaminated hectares.

Although the war has long ended, unexploded ordnance (UXO) remains a significant factor affecting socio-economic activities, especially the security of the population. For example, on October 31, 2025, in the village of Le Xuyen, Nam Cua Viet commune, residents heard a loud explosion from a field just 5 meters from their homes. This explosion was caused by a landmine dating back to the war. A large crater formed at the site, prompting the Quang Tri Provincial Demining Center to dispatch its field intervention team to gather information and manage the situation.

Quang Tri was the first locality in the country authorized by the government to collaborate with international organizations to carry out demining projects in 1996. The American organization Peace Trees Vietnam (PTVN) was the first to obtain approval to implement demining and prevention measures after the war. Thirty years later, dozens of foreign non-governmental organizations have funded Quang Tri Province for demining and prevention projects, including NPA (Norwegian People’s Aid in Vietnam), MAG (Mines Advisory Group in Vietnam), PTVN (Peace Trees Vietnam), and RENEW.

In late March 2026, after six months of field operations, technical teams from the Phong Nha Port Authority (NPA) completed their mission in Phong Nha commune. They inspected 15,742,500 square meters of land, identified 56 confirmed hazardous areas, covering a total area of 34,735,234 square meters for demining. Through non-technical and technical surveys, NPA teams discovered 607 explosive devices of various types, including 523 fragmentation bombs. All devices were handed over to PTVN for safe neutralization and detonation. Completion of this inspection marks an important step towards better security for the community, livelihood support, and the creation of conditions for sustainable development in Phong Nha commune.

Mr. Nguyen Van Sinh, a resident of Trieu Phong commune, stated that each neutralized unexploded ordnance eliminates a potential underground danger. Each demined square meter of land offers families the opportunity to develop their livelihoods, build homes, and send their children to school safely.

Demining also contributes to the security of important structures and historical sites. MAG completed its demining mission at the special national monument of the ancient citadel of Quang Tri in Quang Tri District. At this site, MAG cleared over 135,000 square meters of land inside the citadel’s walls, uncovering and neutralizing 325 dangerous explosive devices, many of which were located in immediate proximity to the ground.

According to Mrs. Cap Thi Thien Trang, director of the Board of Directors of the commemorative site of Secretary General Le Duan and the ancient citadel of Quang Tri, demining of the ancient citadel not only helps preserve and protect the historical site but also ensures the safety of visitors, as well as that of the staff and employees of the unit.

According to Mr. Dinh Ngoc Vu, Deputy Director of the Quang Tri Provincial Demining Center, with the support of organizations and units, nearly 60,000 hectares of land in Quang Tri Province have been cleared of unexploded ordnance after demining operations; 925,764 landmines and unexploded ordnance have been discovered and safely neutralized; 894,296 people have participated in mine risk awareness activities. Objective: Make the province “safe” by 2035. Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/ngay-the-gioi-phong-chong-bom-min-44-hien-thuc-hoa-mo-hinh-tinh-an-toan-20260404074915157.htm