Donate
Skip to content
The HALO Trust
Contact | Careers | Media | Podcast
Donate
  • What we do

    • What we do

    • Our work

      • Our work

      • Clearing explosives

      • Teaching safety

      • Managing weapons

      • Empowering women

    Our work

    • Clearing explosives
    • Teaching safety
    • Managing weapons
    • Empowering women
  • Where we work

    • Where we work

    • Africa

      • Africa

      • Angola

      • Cote D'Ivoire

      • Ethiopia

      • Ghana

      • Guinea Bissau

      • Kenya

      • Malawi

      • Mauritania

      • Mozambique

      • Nigeria

      • Somalia and Somaliland

      • Togo

      • Zimbabwe

    • Europe and Caucasus

      • Europe and Caucasus

      • Kosovo

      • Moldova

      • Nagorno Karabakh

      • Ukraine

    • South Asia

      • South Asia

      • Cambodia

      • Laos

      • Myanmar

      • Solomon Islands

      • Sri Lanka

    • Central Asia

      • Central Asia

      • Afghanistan

    • Latin America

      • Latin America

      • Colombia

      • El Salvador

      • Guatemala

      • Honduras

    • Middle East

      • Middle East

      • Iraq

      • Libya

      • Syria

      • West Bank

      • Yemen

    Africa

    • Angola
    • Cote D'Ivoire
    • Ethiopia
    • Ghana
    • Guinea Bissau
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Mauritania
    • Mozambique
    • Nigeria
    • Somalia and Somaliland
    • Togo
    • Zimbabwe

    Europe and Caucasus

    • Kosovo
    • Moldova
    • Nagorno Karabakh
    • Ukraine

    South Asia

    • Cambodia
    • Laos
    • Myanmar
    • Solomon Islands
    • Sri Lanka

    Central Asia

    • Afghanistan

    Latin America

    • Colombia
    • El Salvador
    • Guatemala
    • Honduras

    Middle East

    • Iraq
    • Libya
    • Syria
    • West Bank
    • Yemen
  • About us

    • About us

    • Who we are

      • Who we are

      • History of HALO

      • Meet the team

      • Partners

    • Governance

      • Governance

      • Trustees

      • Reports

    Who we are

    • History of HALO
    • Meet the team
    • Partners

    Governance

    • Trustees
    • Reports
  • Get involved

    • Get involved

    • Give

      • Give

      • Donate now

      • Donate monthly

      • Legacy giving

      • Corporate giving

      • Fundraising promise

    • Raise money

    • Email sign up

      • Email sign up

    Give

    • Donate now
    • Donate monthly
    • Legacy giving
    • Corporate giving
    • Fundraising promise

    Raise money

    Email sign up

  • Latest

    • Latest

    • HALO Updates

      • HALO Updates

      • News

      • Stories

      • Historias de America Latina

      • Press coverage

    HALO Updates

    • News
    • Stories
    • Historias de America Latina
    • Press coverage
  • Contact

  • Careers

  • Media

  • Podcast

Donate

An impossible choice

In Somaliland local herders face an impossible decision. Do you risk grazing your animals on landmine riddled ground or see them starve?

Two hours out of Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, down almost undetectable dusty roads, is the village of Sayla Bari—an assortment of shelters, huts and brick-built homes. During the country's brutal civil war an army camp was positioned nearby. Local people say that three consecutive Somali generals laid landmines around the camp, leaving a lethal legacy beneath the sun-baked earth.

In a country where drought hits hard, all land is precious. Sometimes this means making the dangerous choice of living or working among the landmines. On the edge of the village we meet a local herdsman who tells us his story of life among the mines.

Scroll

"I knew the area was mined but I didn’t really have a choice – there isn’t much good grazing land here and I have over 100 goats to feed."

My name is Abdul Nasser and I am 21-years old. I live just east of Sayla Bari and have used this land since I was a little boy to herd my goats. I knew the area was mined but I didn’t really have a choice – there isn’t much good grazing land here and I have over 100 goats to feed.

Before the land was cleared by HALO I was afraid, but I relied on God to keep me safe.

Now the mines are gone I am relieved. I have just got married and my wife is happy to know that I am not putting myself in danger each day I walk through this land. Today I am going with my axe to build a fence around the water store.

Scroll

HALO cleared an area the size of 30 football pitches where Abdul walks each day to graze his goats.

 

HALO trained 40 local deminers to clear the landmines around the Sayla Bari military camp, meaning Abdul no longer has the impossible choice of walking through mined land or seeing his livestock starve.

Since 1999, HALO has been working in Somaliland to clear vital land. Today orange and papaya trees grow where once there were mines, herders guide goats and camels through the landscape without fear and countless men, women and children have been saved from devastating injury or even death. However, HALO’s work is not complete, landmines still remain to be cleared. In January this year a truck carrying 30 people detonated a mine near Lughay village. The blast ripped through the fuel tank and buckled the seats. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured but it is a stark reminder that Somaliland continues to need your support so its terrible landmine legacy can be removed for good.

 

Share this article

Get Involved

  • Donate now
  • Raise money

Get In Touch

  • Contact
  • Media enquiries
Sitemap | Terms of use | Privacy policy | Cookie policy
The HALO Trust | Copyright © 2025
Sign up for emails
Visit HALO USA

CARRONFOOT, THORNHILL, DUMFRIES, DG3 5BF

The HALO Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 2228587. Registered Charity No. 1001813 and (in Scotland) SC037870. Registered Office: One Bartholomew Close, Barts Square, London EC1A 7BL

The HALO Trust (USA), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization US Federal Tax ID Number 52-2158152
Office: 1730 Rhode Island Ave NW, Suite 206, Washington, DC 20036 

By registering for our updates, or making a donation to us, you expressly agree to your information being used by The HALO Trust and The HALO Trust (USA), Inc. in accordance with our privacy protection policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We now have a dedicated website for visitors in the USA and Canada.

Visit dedicated site