The HALO Trust, a humanitarian mine clearance organization, has announced the removal of over 300,000 landmines in Sri Lanka. The group marked the milestone while continuing operations in former conflict zones.
HALO Trust’s Milestone Amid Ongoing Operations
In an interview with Ada Derana Media, HALO trustee Farzana Baduel called the achievement “remarkable.” Baduel, who also serves as CEO of Curzon PR, highlighted the ongoing nature of the work.
“We are actively clearing minefields right now, particularly in Jaffna, as well as in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu,” Baduel stated.
“Removing the 300,000th mine was a very special moment for our teams, especially at that coastal site.”
Sri Lankan landmines are a bleak reminder of the civil war that raged between 1983 and 2009, spanning over two decades. Both sides of the conflict deployed landmines and other improvised explosive devices, with the heaviest contamination being in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Fifteen years after the conflict, Sri Lankan landmines continue to kill civilians and restrict access to farm lands in the Southeast Asian country.
Removing 300,000 landmines in Sri Lanka is a remarkable achievement.
In this interview with @adaderana, our CEO @farzanabaduel speaks about the work of @TheHALOTrust‘s deminers and why humanitarian demining remains vital to recovery.
Watch here 👇https://t.co/tFk6V1s3gs pic.twitter.com/gnCgHWDPKg
— Curzon PR (@CurzonPR) January 19, 2026
From Local Deminers to Global Trainers
Baduel further explained that this year also saw HALO Trust surpass the removal of one million total hazardous items. This also includes unexploded grenades and other explosive remnants of war since the beginning of operations in Sri Lanka in 2002.
Baduel emphasized the significance of celebrating the milestone locally, noting the dedication of the national demining staff.
“It has been a long, hard journey since we started here in 2002,” said Baduel. ”Our Sri Lankan teams are so competent and innovative that they now train personnel from around the world in demining excellence.”
She added that several team members have risen from junior roles to become senior instructors, while sharing their expertise globally.
Meanwhile, HALO Trust has entered into a three-year partnership with Trafigura Foundation to remove landmines in Australia. Furthermore, UNMAS and UNICEF have organized a Mine Action Workshop to train local volunteers to lead mine removals in Syria.
