On 3 May, a 500-pound bomb was detonated in Soplao village, Huameuang district, Houaphanh Province.
The device, identified as an MK82—a type of aerial bomb used during the Indochina War—was initially discovered on 1 May. A UXO disposal team, working in coordination with local authorities, inspected the area surrounding the discovery site.

Due to the bomb’s proximity to a residential area, it could not be neutralized on-site. On 2 May, the team carefully relocated the device to a designated disposal site in Nasam Village, where it was successfully detonated the following day.
This operation comes in the wake of a mid-February announcement from the United States regarding funding cuts to UXO clearance programs, raising concerns about the future of unexploded ordnance removal efforts in Laos
This incident comes nearly a year after a 750-pound bomb was discovered in Phonthong Village, Viengxay District, also in Houaphanh Province.
While these are two of the most significant UXO clearance cases, unexploded ordnance continues to affect rural communities across the northern and central provinces of Laos on a daily basis.
During the Vietnam War, from 1954 to 1975, the US military dropped 270 million cluster bombs not only on Vietnam but also on neighboring Laos and Cambodia. Despite not being officially involved in the war, Laos became the most heavily bombed country per capita in history, with over 2 million tons dropped in only nine years.
Meanwhile, support for post-war recovery appears to be waning. A project run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to help victims of Agent Orange has reportedly ended, and the agency responsible for it has also ceased operations.

In January, the US State Department announced a three-month suspension of mine clearance funding in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia due to budget cuts.
Amid these developments, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Darren Cormack, emphasized the importance of continued US involvement:
“The US has played a leading role in addressing the legacy of conflict in Southeast Asia and elsewhere in the world and MAG’s work has enjoyed strong and bipartisan support from all US government administrations, including President Trump’s first administration, because of its alignment with US national interests,” he said. “We hope to work with the new Trump administration in the years ahead and we are confident that the case for our work in Laos is strong.”
On the ground, however, practitioners in the UXO clearance field are concerned.
A Lao UXO worker with over five years of experience, who requested anonymity for security reasons, described how essential continued funding is to national development.
The worker explained that without sufficient support, progress in sectors like agriculture, livestock, infrastructure, and environmental management could be severely hindered.
He noted that many development projects cannot proceed without a prior site survey to ensure the land is free of UXOs.
“If any [UXOs] are found, funding approval and further action are often delayed or denied” he said.
He added that after more than 30 years of work, only 2–3 percent of contaminated land has been cleared.
“It’s estimated that we’ll need at least another decade to reach the United Nations’ 18th Sustainable Development Goal, which includes removing the threat of unexploded ordnance. If funding is cut, clearance operations will stall, and national development efforts will be impacted,” he warned.
“The Lao government simply does not have the resources to do this alone.”
According to UXO Lao, as of April 2025, teams have conducted 36 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education visits, reaching over 25,000 people. Additionally, non-technical surveys have been completed in 17 villages, with technical teams identifying 39 confirmed hazardous areas across 640 hectares.
UXO has been removed from 315 hectares of land, directly benefiting more than 2,200 people. In total, 4,364 explosive devices have been located and deactivated, yet much remains to be done.
Despite the progress, UXO remains a significant threat in Laos, causing civilian casualties and limiting access to essential services and economic opportunities.
In early 2025, 3 deaths and 6 injuries were reported, with children making up over 60 percent of the casualties. The presence of leftover munitions continues to hinder safe and sustainable development.