Norway is continuing to support unexploded ordnance clearance in Laos, where Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) is working to remove remnants of war from communities in the country’s southern provinces.
First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi Marianne Rabe Knævelsrud recently visited NPA’s office in Vientiane before travelling to Paksong District in Champasak Province to observe clearance activities. The visit included discussions about NPA’s current operations and plans for 2027.
Paksong is among the areas affected by unexploded ordnance (UXO), including cluster munition remnants, which continue to pose risks to rural communities.
NPA is one of the largest mine-action operators in Laos. As of August 2026, it had eight survey teams, 40 clearance teams and four explosive ordnance risk education teams operating across four southern provinces. Since the beginning of its programme, NPA says it has cleared more than 69 square kilometres of contaminated land and destroyed more than 176,000 items of UXO.
Norway has continued to support NPA’s work, including as the organisation prepares to scale down operations following changes to US funding. NPA says expected Norwegian support in 2027 could allow it to maintain a smaller operational presence in southern Laos.
