"I was riding the bus back from school when shooting started between two gangs. I threw myself on the floor and prayed. One of the gang members killed in the shooting was my student."
Maria is a schoolteacher living in the Chalatenango region of El Salvador, where she fears for her life every time she leaves her home or goes to school. In the 1980s and 90s, El Salvador was ravaged by a civil war that killed an estimated 75,000 people and brought large numbers of guns into the country. Decades later, gun related crime continues to force families to flee El Salvador and other Central American countries in search of safety. This gun violence, fueled by unsecure weapons winding up in the hands of gangs, terrorizes civilians like Maria and her students.
Communities like Maria's should not have to continue living in fear.
For over 30 years, The HALO Trust has been protecting the lives of civilians and reducing the threat of violent gangs and terrorist groups through weapons security management programs in conflict and post-conflict countries worldwide. By building capacity in US partners and allies, HALO helps improve security and counter weapons trafficking and diversion.
The HALO Trust makes communities safer and allows people like Maria to live without fear, but this work needs support from the US Government.
Call on your elected officials to support global weapons and ammunition security programs that make the world a safer place.
Subject: Support Weapons and Ammunition Management in the CWD Account
Dear Representative/Senator,
As your constituent and a supporter of The HALO Trust, I am calling on you to support Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM) programs by committing $272m in the FY25 budget for the State Department's Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) programs and by signing on to letters in support of this effort.
The presence of unsecured weapons and ammunition in fragile states poses a threat to global security and US interests. When terrorists, criminal groups, and other armed non-state actors have access to conventional weapons, it perpetuates the cycle of violence and derails peace processes. This access to modern military equipment has resulted in coups, insurgencies, and outbreaks of violence. Aging infrastructure and mismanagement also leads to explosive stockpile accidents that cause thousands of casualties, displace civilians, and cost millions of dollars in damage. These incidents can also injure Americans traveling abroad and put US embassies at risk. Unsecured weapons and ammunition support terrorism, destabilize allies and threaten civilian life.
From the Northern Triangle in Central America to Coastal West Africa, WAM programs are needed to improve government accountability, promote security sector reform, crack down on corruption, and reduce the threat of terrorists and other armed groups worldwide. Weapons marking and registration programs enhance accountability and transparency by creating an accurate digital firearms registry, fostering public trust in security forces and the government.
The U.S. must continue to lead the world as a supporter of effective weapons and ammunition management – providing a transformational and cost-effective form of international aid. These programs make the world a more secure place and are an efficient way to promote stability and economic development.
Without a top line budget for the CWD account in the FY25 budget, WAM programs are in jeopardy and I am deeply concerned about the humanitarian and security cost of not funding these programs. Therefore, it is essential that you show your support for these programs by advocating for $272m for the CWD account and signing any letters in support of these efforts.
I hope I can count on your vocal leadership on this important issue.
Sincerely,
[Name]
