Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) has uncovered almost 500 unexploded ordnances (UXO) in a coffee plantation in Pakxong district, Champasak province, southern Laos, according to a report published on Thursday 5 September 2025 in Manager Online.
The organization said the clearance operation at Ban Lak 45 revealed 488 unexploded “Bombies” — small submunitions from cluster bombs — along with seven 60-mm mortar shells. Most of the items were identified as cluster munitions, weapons banned by many countries under the Convention on Cluster Munitions because of the long-lasting danger they pose to civilians.
Cluster bombs scatter hundreds of small submunitions over a wide area. Many fail to detonate on impact, leaving behind lethal remnants that can kill or injure civilians decades after conflicts have ended. Removing them is both difficult and costly.
The United States dropped vast quantities of cluster munitions over Laos during the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975. Large parts of the country remain contaminated, especially in the southern provinces.
According to NPA Laos, Ban Lak 45 is among the most dangerous locations in Pakxong district, with a total hazardous area of 47,412 square meters. Clearance teams have so far managed to check and secure 28,705 square meters.
Norwegian People’s Aid has been working in Laos for many years to locate, remove and safely destroy unexploded ordnances, supporting the government’s long-term goal of making land safe for communities and agriculture.
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