Phnom Penh: On 6 May 2026, at the British Embassy in Phnom Penh, the UK Government, through Dominic Williams, the British Ambassador to Cambodia, announced a further £1.6 million in funding for mine clearance and explosive ordnance awareness education for a further year, 2026-2027, to contribute to improving community safety and livelihoods, and in particular to supporting Cambodia’s progress towards its mine clearance obligation by 2030.
The grant will be provided to three demining organizations: HALO Trust, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and APOPO. Through this grant, HALO Trust and MAG are expected to clear 890,300 square meters of land in Battambang, Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Pailin, Pursat and Koh Kong provinces, directly benefiting 5,414 people and providing over 4,000 explosive ordnance awareness training sessions to over 44,280 people, including 8,854 women and 12,696 girls.
In parallel, the UK will support APOPO’s Minefields to Ricefields (M2R) project, integrating mine action with agricultural redevelopment on 3.4 million square meters, with at least 500 farming families directly benefiting, along with an additional 500 families.
On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, Dr. Ly Thuj, Senior Minister and First Deputy Chairman of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority, said that the partnership between Cambodia and the United Kingdom has remained strong and unchanged for four decades in the field of humanitarian mine action. The UK continues to stand with Cambodia beyond partnership and is committed to working together to promote humanity and dignity.
The Minister highlighted that Cambodia has now set a clear vision for its mine action process, committing that by 2030, no community will be left vulnerable to landmines.
Senior Minister Ly Thuc thanked the United Kingdom, among other friendly countries and development partners, for contributing to the humanitarian mine action sector in Cambodia, which to date has provided approximately £65 million in assistance.
