Phnom Penh, Cambodia (HRNW): Cambodian Self Help Demining, a local humanitarian organization working to remove landmines and unexploded ordnance, is facing a severe funding crisis that could force it to halt operations as early as September 2026, according to recent reporting on Cambodia’s demining sector.
The organization, founded by landmine survivor En Poy, has played a major role in clearing remnants of Cambodia’s past conflicts. Humanitarian demining groups have cleared more than 1.2 million mines in Cambodia, but large areas of contaminated land remain dangerous to civilians, particularly children.
Recent international funding reductions and donor attention shifting toward current conflicts, including Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and Afghanistan, have created serious financial pressure on demining operations in Southeast Asia. Humanitarian organizations warn that forgotten or legacy conflicts can remain deadly for generations when clearance programmes lose funding.
Landmine clearance is not only a security operation but also a major human-rights and development programme. Contaminated land can prevent families from safely farming, travelling, building homes, accessing schools, and developing local economies.
Children remain particularly vulnerable because explosive remnants of war can be difficult to identify and may be mistaken for ordinary objects.
Cambodia’s experience demonstrates the long-term consequences of armed conflict and the importance of sustained international assistance even decades after fighting has ended. Humanitarian organizations are urging donors not to allow funding reductions to reverse years of progress in mine clearance.
The funding crisis has therefore become an important international humanitarian issue, linking civilian protection, children’s rights, economic development, safe access to land, and the long-term legacy of war.
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Disclaimer
This HRNW report is based on publicly available reporting concerning Cambodian Self Help Demining and the international humanitarian demining sector. Funding projections and operational timelines may change depending on donor commitments and field conditions. This report is published solely for journalistic and informational purposes. HRNW maintains complete editorial independence and does not necessarily endorse the views or positions of organizations mentioned.
