Unexploded Ordnance: Hidden Dangers and How Technology Is Clearing Them

When we think of war, we imagine battles, tanks, and headlines—but the real aftermath often hides in plain sight. Unexploded ordnance, bombs, shells, and grenades that failed to detonate during conflict. Also known as UXO, it’s a silent killer that lingers for generations, turning farmland into death zones and villages into minefields. In places like Cambodia, where over 4 million landmines were laid during decades of war, UXO still claims lives every week. Even in places like Vietnam and Yemen, where fighting ended years ago, a single step can be fatal.

It’s not just about bombs. Land mines Cambodia, a specific, deadly form of UXO still active in rural areas, are often buried under rice paddies or near village paths. In Somaliland and Puntland, old artillery shells from civil wars sit near water wells and grazing lands. These aren’t relics—they’re active threats. And the people clearing them aren’t always soldiers. Many are local deminers, some with no formal training, using metal detectors and sheer courage. Others? Rats trained by APOPO to sniff out explosives, or AI-powered drones mapping danger zones faster than any human team ever could.

The fight against UXO isn’t just about removing metal. It’s about restoring lives. When a field is cleared, families can plant crops again. When a trail is safe, kids can walk to school. When a village is freed from fear, commerce returns. In Cambodia, CMAC—the national mine action authority—has cleared over 1.5 million landmines since 1992. In Yemen, teams are mapping UXO in Abyan Governorate, where conflict left behind artillery and cluster munitions. These efforts aren’t glamorous, but they’re essential. And they’re getting smarter. New tools are cutting clearance time in half, while community reporting apps let locals flag suspicious objects in real time.

What you’ll find below isn’t a list of tech specs or military reports. It’s a collection of real stories—from the fields of Cambodia to the border towns of Somalia—where people are living with the past, and fighting to reclaim their future. You’ll read about how AI helps detect hidden bombs, how communities survive despite the threat, and why some of the most effective clearance teams have no uniforms at all. This is the quiet, dangerous, and deeply human side of war’s long shadow—and how the world is finally learning to clean it up.