De-mining charity Halo Trust resumes work in Afghanistan

Scotland-headquartered HALO Trust on Friday resumed its work clearing unexploded munitions in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

The HALO Trust is one of several de-mining organizations in Afghanistan that clear unexploded mines. Large swathes of the country are littered with bombs and landmines due to which civilian casualties are frequent.

The Taliban have allowed the HALO Trust to resume its work in Afghanistan, Taliban sources told PTI.

Over 1,000 employees of the HALO Trust resumed their mission in five provinces of Afghanistan from Friday, they said.

According to a BBC report, the HALO Trust is deploying 1,400 of its local Afghan employees to five provinces around the country. They will carry on their work disposing of live mortar shells, grenades, and improvised explosive devices.

The organization, which has been working in Afghanistan for decades, had evacuated all its foreign staff from the country last month following the toppling of the US-backed Ashraf Ghani government by the Taliban. The organization at that time had said it hoped to return to its work to help avoid a rise in casualties in Afghanistan.

Quoting the charity spokesperson, Paul McCann, the report said it obtained the Taliban's permission, having already worked in Taliban-controlled areas during the years of insurgency.

McCann said their work has a particular urgency this month as so many Afghans were on the move.

The Halo Trust has said there is an ''absolutely huge requirement'' for its operations as large numbers of people try to return to their homes with the potential for a ''big spike'' in casualties, the report said.

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