Â鶹¹ú²úAV

Discover the answers to the most asked questions about Â鶹¹ú²úAV and our work, from how a landmine functions to applying to join the Â鶹¹ú²úAV family.

If you can't find what you're looking for, please use our contact form to get in touch.

>> Who funds Â鶹¹ú²úAV?

Â鶹¹ú²úAV is funded by governments, members of the public, foundations, philanthropists and companies. Find out how your company could support Â鶹¹ú²úAV's work here.

>> Does Â鶹¹ú²úAV work with other organisations?

Â鶹¹ú²úAV partners with other NGOs in many of our programmes, including Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Danish Church Aid (DCA), Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), Action Against Hunger (ACF), Development Assistance Organisation (DAO) and Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR).

Â鶹¹ú²úAV works closely with national demining authorities in most countries where we work.

>> What is your annual turnover?

For the financial year 2022/23 our turnover was £122.8 million. You can read our annual reports here.

>> How much of my donation goes to the cause?

Â鶹¹ú²úAV takes pride in ensuring that best value for money is achieved from donor funds. In 2022, 90 per cent of our turnover was spent directly on our field programmes, nine per cent on programme support and one percent on fundraising costs. Read our fundraising promise here.

You are welcome to specify which country or project your donation is allocated to.

>> How can I help raise money for Â鶹¹ú²úAV?

You can do anything to raise money for landmine clearance: remember us in your legacy, bake cakes, trek to the South Pole, drive from London to Cape Town, donate your birthday, host a gala, run a marathon.

Our amazing supporters have done all of these things to make people safe. Find inspiration on events and ideas page.

>> Do you provide speakers?

Depending on staff availability, Â鶹¹ú²úAV may be able to provide speakers for universities, colleges, schools or other community groups. Please email mail@halotrust.org with your inquiry.

>> How many people does Â鶹¹ú²úAV employ?

Our global staff headcount changes every month but during 2024 we employed between 10,000 to 13,000 men and women worldwide.

>> Can I volunteer for Â鶹¹ú²úAV?

Due to our strict safety protocols, it is not possible to volunteer in the field for Â鶹¹ú²úAV, however experienced qualified doctors, nurses and paramedics are welcome to apply to join our Medical Board.

>> How I can apply to work for Â鶹¹ú²úAV?

When a vacancy arises, we will advertise the role on our website under ‘Job Vacancies’ and also post on recruitment websites specialising in international development roles.

In addition to single vacancies that appear throughout the year Â鶹¹ú²úAV runs a specific recruitment round to appoint new international field operations staff annually. A smaller recruitment round is sometimes also held for candidates who are mid-career and may be seeking a a management role based in the field.

We are particularly keen to recruit more women and applicants from minority backgrounds. We welcome applicants from any country. Most staff in the more than 30 countries we work in are recruited locally.

Â鶹¹ú²úAV has offices in Scotland, England, The Netherlands and the United States.

>> How long is the training to be a deminer?

All Â鶹¹ú²úAV deminers undergo rigorous training, with additional training for supervisory roles. Trainee international operations managers undergo training in Cambodia for a minimum of seven months. As staff progress, some are selected for additional specialist training in areas such as clearance of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (grenades, shells and mortars), improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and air-dropped weapons. All training is conducted in accordance with the UN’s International Mine Action Standards.

>> Is mine clearance safe?

Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s daily work involves the removal and clearance of explosives designed to kill and maim. We therefore have rigorously strict safety standards and operating procedures, which are approved and monitored by the national authority in each country in which we work. They are strictly implemented in all our programmes and range from standards for blast-proof personal protection equipment, to prescribed safety distances when clearing mines. National authorities also conduct regular, unannounced safety inspections of our operations.

Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s Medical Board oversees all of Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s medical practices, including our casualty evacuation procedures and staff health issues. Medical board members make regular visits to country programmes to provide training and ensure standards are met.

Despite these measures, accidents do sometimes occur. Since Â鶹¹ú²úAV began landmine clearance operations in 1991, 64 staff have been killed while demining or handling explosive items. Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s average fatality rate corresponds with other mine clearance operators. Any non-planned detonation on a minefield is thoroughly investigated, whether it causes injury or not. External independent investigators are consulted in cases of serious accident. Lessons learned from accidents are incorporated into operating procedures globally.

In our 30th anniversary year in 2018 we held a multi-faith service of a remembrance for everyone who has died in Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s service and we commemorate our colleagues annually each World Humanitarian Day. We remain indebted to them all for their courage in working to make others safe.

>> Can animals clear landmines?

Animals can be trained to sniff out landmines, but the majority of terrain (such as jungle, sand dunes or bush) requires preparation by people. Â鶹¹ú²úAV prides itself on providing jobs and training to local people in desperate need of employment.

>> What is a landmine?

A landmine is an explosive device designed to be initiated when stepped on by a person or when driven over by a vehicle. They can remain functional in the ground decades after they were laid. Contrary to how they are often portrayed in films, a landmine usually operates instantly: standing motionless will not stop detonation. Injuries caused by a landmine can range from the loss of a limb to death.

>> Aren’t landmines illegal?

Under the 1997 Landmine Ottawa Ban Convention, the production, laying and stockpiling of anti-personnel landmines has been banned by 164 countries who have pledged to destroy stockpiles and clear mines on their territories by 2025.

>> Why are landmines still a problem?

There are still 60 million people around the world who are directly affected by landmines. Millions of factory-produced landmines laid in the late 20th century remain in the ground and still have the capacity to kill and maim. Today homemade victim-initiated landmines or improvised explosive devices are increasingly being used in contemporary conflict.

>> What is an IED?

An improvised explosive device (IED) is classified as a landmine by the Ottawa Treaty if it is victim-initiated. It can be made by a mixture of homemade and factory produced components. Very often they are designed to function exactly as a landmine, in that they explode when a person stands on it or a vehicle drives over it.

>> How many countries are affected by landmines?

In December 2022 60 states and territories were known to be affected by landmines. The most severely affected countries include Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, Libya, Sri Lanka, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

>> Can’t countries pay to remove their own landmines?

Some can and some do. However, the majority of landmine affected states are still recovering from recent or historical conflicts and require external assistance in clearing their contamination.