"They stole the joy of our return to the land and planted death," says one Syrian civilian returning to their home and then finding their garden littered with explosives leftover from war.
In Syria, there have been over 640 casualties from explosive remnants of war since December as tens of thousands of civilians return to their homes after more than a decade of war.
In Ukraine, an estimated one third of the country remains contaminated with landmines and other explosives. In the Solomon Islands, unexploded bombs from World War II continue to haunt communities and endanger lives.
With an unprecedented scale of conflict and explosive contamination threatening families worldwide, the need to eliminate the threat of landmines and other explosives has never been more critical. These explosives threaten millions of innocent lives worldwide and compound the impacts of war by disrupting livelihoods and jeopardizing food security.
Tell Congress: Support demining programs that let families return to their homes and save lives!
Subject: Support Global Demining in FY26 Budget
Dear Representative/Senator,
As your constituent and a supporter of The HALO Trust, I am calling on you to support $290m of funding in the FY26 SFOPS/NSRP budget for the State Department's Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) programs. CWD programs address the humanitarian impacts of landmines, IEDs, and other explosive remnants of war and combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons systems.
CWD programs, currently under review by the State Department, prevent the casualties of local civilians, U.S. service members, and other Americans in nearly 50 countries worldwide. Demining programs allow the return of displaced families, support stability, enable access for other forms of humanitarian aid, and protect human rights. CWD programs strengthen U.S. security partnerships and project American soft power, as deminers provide a direct benefit to local populations while wearing highly visible U.S. flags on their body armor. CWD programs also keep explosive materials and weapons out of the hands of terrorist groups, cartels, and other criminals by securing government weapons stockpiles in fragile states – supporting international stability and American national security. These programs have clear end dates and provide tangible outputs, including returning land to local communities, promoting economic development, opening trade opportunities, and reducing global food prices.
Landmines and other explosive remnants of war threaten the lives of millions of civilians worldwide and jeopardize global stability, and I am deeply concerned about the consequences of allowing landmines to remain in the ground. The United States must continue to be a leader in demining and related programs.
Congress must include no less than $290 million for the life-saving State Department Conventional Weapons Destruction in the FY26 SFOPS/NSRP budget. For House Members, please also join the bipartisan Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)/Demining Caucus by contacting Emma with the office of Rep. Chrissy Houlahan or Olivia with Rep. David Valadao.
This support is necessary to keep civilians safe worldwide, prevent dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of terrorist and criminal groups, and promote U.S. leadership in countries of strategic national importance. I hope to see your vocal support for demining and related programs throughout the appropriations process.
Thank you for your leadership on this important issue.
Sincerely,
[Name]
