HALO Trust and ATC were preselected to implement this project as, geographically, these two implementing partners had a long-term presence in the project areas making them familiar with the situation of minefields and battlefields and nature of terrains which required clearance. The Salang Tunnel was selected as a project splitter where its northern part was implemented by the HALO Trust and southern part by ATC.

The HALO Trust

The HALO Trust is a non-political, non-religious, non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in South West Scotland, registered in England as a charity, and in the United States as a not-for-profit organisation. The HALO Trust specialises in the removal of the hazardous debris of war. It is the world’s oldest and largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation.

The HALO Trust’s operations cover Central Asia, South East Asia, the Horn of Africa, Southern Africa, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

Under the IRU-UNMAS project, the HALO Trust deployed six Demining Teams (DT), one Battle Area Clearance Unit (BAC) and two Mechanical Demining Units (MDU) who worked over 45 different hazards, and destroyed:

• 106 antipersonnel mines
• 200 explosive remnants of war
• 12 small arms ammunition
• 1 antitank mine  

6,530 people who were living in direct threat from landmines and ERW in 12 communities, seven districts and four provinces benefitted from the land cleared by the HALO Trust.

The map shows the geographical location of hazards removed by the HALO Trust under this project.

Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC)

Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC) is the oldest and largest non-profit NGO for humanitarian mine clearance in Afghanistan. Established in October 1989 by the current Director, Kefayatullah Eblagh, ATC started demining operations in early 1990 and has since then developed into a highly organised and effective NGO, employing some 1,300 personnel.

Under the IRU-UNMAS project, ATC deployed six DT, one Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EOD) and one MDU, who worked over 41 hazards, and destroyed:

• 1,769 antipersonnel mines
• 830 explosive remnants of war
• 3,243 small arms ammunition

The cleared land benefitted 7,387 people who were living in direct threat from landmines and ERW in 30 communities, 11 districts and three provinces.

The map shows the geographical location of hazards removed by the ATC under this project.