The Norway government has recently provided a grant aid worth about US$ 2,200,000 for the project to survey and clear the UXO in the southern province of Saravane, Laos. A ceremony to sign a MoU for the project from 2009-2011 was held in Vientiane on 3 July between Mr. Mariya Sayavong, Director General of the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) and representative of Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) to Laos.
NPA has worked in Lao PDR with resolving the UXO problem since 1997. Initially NPA supported UXO Lao with technical advice and high-impact, productivity enhancing management initiatives. NPA will continue to support and advise UXO Lao in Khammouane province in 2009. In 2008, the National Regulatory Authority, NRA, expressed their keen support for NPA to establish as a UXO clearance NGO in provinces still uncovered by humanitarian clearance, yet which have significant UXO impact. Operations are expected to begin in late 2009.
