Land Mines Cambodia

When you think of land mines Cambodia, buried explosive devices left over from decades of conflict that continue to kill and injure civilians. Also known as unexploded ordnance, these hidden weapons are not relics—they’re active threats that reshape daily life across rural Cambodia. Even though the last major war ended over 30 years ago, an estimated 4–6 million land mines and other unexploded bombs still litter the countryside. Farmers plow fields not knowing if the next shovel full of dirt will trigger death. Children walk to school past roads that could vanish in a flash. Entire villages live under the shadow of invisible danger.

This isn’t just about bombs. It’s about landmine clearance, the slow, dangerous, and expensive work of finding and removing these devices. Teams with metal detectors and trained dogs move inch by inch through rice paddies, forests, and former battlefields. Organizations like the Cambodian Mine Action Center and international NGOs have removed over 1.5 million devices since the 1990s—but new ones are still found every week. The cost? Over $50 million a year. The reward? One less amputee. One more safe field. One more child who can play without fear.

And then there’s the human cost. Over 64,000 people have been killed or injured by land mines in Cambodia since the 1970s. Many survivors lose limbs, never fully recover, and struggle to find work. Their families bear the burden too. That’s why UXO Southeast Asia, the broader regional crisis of unexploded ordnance stretching from Laos to Vietnam, matters. Cambodia’s problem is the most visible, but it’s part of a pattern. These bombs don’t care about borders. They were dropped, buried, and forgotten by powers far away—and now, ordinary people pay the price.

What you’ll find in this collection aren’t just stories about bombs. They’re reports from villages where a single step can change a life forever. They’re profiles of clearance workers who risk their lives daily. They’re data on how land mine removal affects farming, education, and economic growth. You’ll see how technology is helping—drones mapping danger zones, AI analyzing satellite images for hidden patterns—and how local communities are taking charge. This isn’t a history lesson. It’s a live, ongoing crisis—and the people fighting it are still here, still working, still hoping.