Gio Linh, Quang Tri (28 January 2021) — Technical survey teams managed by Project RENEW/NPA on Thursday located a cache of explosive ordnance in Ha Loi Trung Village of Gio Linh Commune, Gio Linh District while they were working to define contaminated land that will be targeted for full clearance.

Team Leader Pham Huu Hoan confirmed that his team unearthed a total of 11 pieces of explosive ordnance including projectiles, mortars, and rockets, and grenades. These dangerous explosives have been marked for a mobile explosive ordnance disposal team to come and conduct a safe demolition.

Ha Loi Trung Village straddles the southern boundary of the former Demilitarized Zone and is about eight kilometers from Cua Viet, a former combat base of the U.S. Marine Corps during the war. Due to its proximity to the former Demilitarized Zone, Ha Loi Trung Village was subjected to heavy airstrikes and ground fighting from 1967 to 1972. Post-war explosive remnants have caused five deaths and one injury to local people since 1975.

After five days working in Ha Loi Trung Village, four technical survey teams of RENEW/NPA have surveyed over 350,000 square meters of land, found and safely destroyed 80 items of explosive ordnance.

The survey and clearance operations of Project RENEW in cooperation with Norwegian People’s Aid Vietnam in Quang Tri Province are funded by the U.S. Department of State and UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

Project RENEW was established in 2001 as a joint effort between the government of Quang Tri Province and interested INGOs to “restore the environment and neutralize the effects of the war”.

Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) has worked in Vietnam since 2007 and collaborated with national and provincial authorities to implement capacity development, survey and clearance projects in Hanoi, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Binh provinces.