Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea continues to grapple with the legacy of Second World War explosives contamination, a persistent and dangerous issue affecting communities, development and public safety.

During WWII, Papua New Guinea was a major battleground in the Pacific, hosting extensive military operations by Allied and Japanese forces. Massive quantities of munitions were stockpiled, used and often abandoned.

Following Japan's conquest of the mainland and islands of Papua in 1942, the Allies conducted a series of amphibious beach landings on the islands and the northern coast of New Guinea, intended to isolate the main Japanese base at Rabaul. The combination of fierce land battles, naval and artillery bombardment, aerial bombing and ammunition dumping left Papua New Guinea with a deadly and widespread legacy of contamination with unexploded and abandoned ordnance.

Notably catastrophic was the explosion of the ammunition ship USS Mount Hood in Manus in 1944, which left behind thousands of tons of unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war.

Decades later, explosive remnants still pose serious risks. By some estimates over 25,000 people have been injured or killed in PNG due to unexploded ordnance since 1945, although robust statistics are not available. Explosive contamination prevents farming, infrastructure development, and safe housing in affected areas like New Britain, Milne Bay, Morobe, Oro, Sepik, Manus and Bougainville. UXOs also threaten ecosystems, especially when disturbed or repurposed by locals for fishing or other activities.

HALO has conducted three assessment missions to Papua New Guinea since late 2023, gathering evidence and establishing relationships with key stakeholders. With support from the United States, through the U.S. Department of State, HALO began work in Oro Province and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in July 2025.

Papua New Guinea lacks a both a formal explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) reporting mechanism and comprehensive data on the scope of explosive contamination. HALO will conduct a national survey of mainland Papua New Guinea, New Guinea islands and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. We will then identify priority areas and work to clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other explosives.

To guide its survey work, HALO will seek historic clearance data from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, the U.S.'s Theatre History of Operations Reports, Second World War battle maps and histories, and data from the multi-national Operation Render Safe project.

HALO can provide technical advice and training to the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and the Bomb Search Unit of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

HALO also plans to establish a stand-alone HALO EOD response in areas where the Defence Force lacks the capacity or ability to respond, and work with the Provincial Disaster Committees, Defence Force, and Constabulary to establish an effective UXO reporting and response mechanism.

HALO will deliver explosive ordnance risk education in affected communities. This will include classes and community meetings, posters, leaflets, and children’s workbooks as well as local radio and social media posts to raise awareness and to encourage reporting of found devices.

Read the US Embassy release announcing its support for HALO in Papua New Guinea here.