Donate
Skip to content
The HALO Trust
Contact Us | Recruitment | Media Enquiries
Donate
  • What we do

    • What we do

    • Our work

      • Our work

      • Teaching people to stay safe

      • Managing weapons and ammunition

      • Clearing landmines and explosives

    • Our impact

      • Our impact

      • Protecting lives

      • Making land safe

      • Creating jobs

      • Empowering women

    Our work

    • Teaching people to stay safe
    • Managing weapons and ammunition
    • Clearing landmines and explosives

    Our impact

    • Protecting lives
    • Making land safe
    • Creating jobs
    • Empowering women

    Featured

    Beyond Bombs Podcast

  • 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

    Featured

    Beyond Bombs Podcast

  • About us

    • About us

    • Who we are

      • Who we are

      • Our history

      • Our people

      • Our partners

      • Stichting HALO Europe

    • Governance

      • Governance

      • Our trustees

      • Medical governance

      • Policies and safeguarding

      • Reports and strategy

    Who we are

    • Our history
    • Our people
    • Our partners
    • Stichting HALO Europe

    Governance

    • Our trustees
    • Medical governance
    • Policies and safeguarding
    • Reports and strategy

    Featured

    Beyond Bombs Podcast

  • Get involved

    • Get involved

    • Give

      • Give

      • Donate now

      • Donate monthly

      • Legacy giving

      • Corporate giving

      • Fundraising promise

    • Raise money

      • Raise money

      • Events and ideas

    • Join us

      • Join us

      • Newsletter sign up

    Give

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

    Raise money

    • Events and ideas

    Join us

    • Newsletter sign up

    Featured

    Beyond Bombs Podcast

  • Latest

    • Latest

    • Special Projects

      • Special Projects

      • Baptism Site

      • 100 Women in Demining in Angola

      • Protecting the Okavango

      • The Border Project

      • Cultivating Peace in the Horn of Africa

      • Women in WAM

    • HALO Updates

      • HALO Updates

      • News

      • Stories

      • Historias de America Latina

      • Beyond Bombs Podcast

      • In the media

    Special Projects

    • Baptism Site
    • 100 Women in Demining in Angola
    • Protecting the Okavango
    • The Border Project
    • Cultivating Peace in the Horn of Africa
    • Women in WAM

    HALO Updates

    • News
    • Stories
    • Historias de America Latina
    • Beyond Bombs Podcast
    • In the media

    Featured

    Beyond Bombs Podcast

  • Contact Us

  • Recruitment

  • Media Enquiries

Donate

El Salvador

Para español haga clic aqui

The brutal Civil War in El Salvador during the 80s and early 90s, claimed the lives of over 75,000 people—with many more who 'disappeared'. It left behind a dangerous legacy of guns that were imported during the conflict. These helped to contribute to high levels of crime and violence.

The war is over but stability and security in El Salvador are an ongoing challenge and people like Maria, now a teacher who grew up in El Salvador during the war, live in fear.

"I was riding the bus back from school when shooting started between two gangs. I threw myself on the floor and prayed. One of the gang members killed in the shooting was my student."
Maria, El Salvador

Our Work

Managing weapons & ammunition

Environmental resilience

Since 2017, HALO has been working in El Salvador with the military and police to strengthen their management of stocks of weapons and ammunition to prevent unplanned explosions and the diversion of firearms to organised crime. At the same time, we strive to ensure the meaningful participation of women and other minority groups in the security forces. 

As part of our weapons and ammunition management (WAM) projects commitment, we deliver specialised courses in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), ammunition handling and accounting, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). These courses equip local officials with the technical tools necessary to adopt best practices in line with the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) and the Modular Small Arms Control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC).

HALO's impact as at Summer 2025

12549
Light weapons destroyed
38153
Kg of explosives & ammunition
495343
Items of ammunition

OUR IMPACT

Lack of opportunity, gang violence and high levels of extortion have historically put young people in El Salvador at risk, but providing them with meaningful employment can help them escape the cycle of violence. 

HALO is implementing a project combining vital mangrove restoration in part of the Jiquilisco Xiriualtique Biosphere Reserve, located in eastern El Salvador, in collaboration with Mangrove Action Project and Asociación Mangle–a community-based organisation focused on improving living conditions by building a system with economic, social and environmental justice and gender equity.

In collaboration with vulnerable youth, the project employs 12 at-risk youth and trains them as community reforesters to create mangrove nurseries and cultivate around 10,000 trees that will be replanted in the area known as ‘El Quemado’. 

Stories From Latin America

Creating a Safer Future in El Salvador
Creating a Safer Future in El Salvador
Read more
Gang violence El Salvador
Gang violence El Salvador
Read more
HALO helps search for long-lost victims of WW2
HALO helps search for long-lost victims of WW2
Read more
Reclaiming roots: Clearing farmland for prosperity
Reclaiming roots: Clearing farmland for prosperity
Read more
Clearing the Path
Clearing the Path
Read more
Restoring Land, Reviving Livelihoods
Restoring Land, Reviving Livelihoods
Read more
Driven by the Hope of Recovery
Driven by the hope of recovery
Read more
Jebrail: A safe new town for Afghanistan
Jebrail: A safe new town for Afghanistan
Read more

Get Involved

Link to Donate

Clear a landmine, save a life

With your support, land can be made safe and lives transformed

Donate
Link to Sign up

Sign up to our newsletter

Be first to hear inspirational stories and all the latest HALO news and events

Sign up

Our Work in El Salvador is Funded By:

 

The Government of the United States

Meet Our Team in El Salvador

Country Manager El Savador
Deysi joined HALO in August 2020. Prior to joining HALO, she served as the Administration and Human Resources Manager for a USAID-funded crime and violence prevention project in El Salvador. She is a graduate of the José Simón Cañas Central American University, holding a degree in Business Administration.

Deysi Galdamez

Logistics Officer
César joined HALO in March 2021 after working for more than 4 years in the logistics and operations area. He has experience in construction, industrial safety, purchasing, imports, fleet management and personnel management. In addition, in the past, he acquired the ability to liaise with the Army and the Government. Cesar studied Business Administration.

César Soriano

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Officer
Maria joined HALO's Northern Triangle team as a MEAL Officer. With experience in project management, she has previously served as a MEAL specialist for other humanitarian organisations in Central America. Maria studied Political Sciences and has a master’s in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. Her professional journey includes roles with the UN and various Civil Society Organisations in Spain, Cuba, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Currently, she is pursuing a second master’s in Project Management for International Cooperation.

María Orbe

Ammunition Technical Specialist
Sebastián joined the Northern Triangle team in January 2023 as an Ammunition Technical Specialist for El Salvador. With over 15 years of experience as an ammunition inspector responsible for the control, surveillance, and storage of weapons, ammunition, and explosives, as well as for physical security and stockpile management.

Sebastian Villa

Small Arms Specialist
Melvin joined HALO in December 2022 as a Small Arms Specialist. Following his retirement from the US Navy, he worked as a civilian armorer and instructor with various contracting companies. He has provided support to the US State Department as an armorer at the US Embassy in Baghdad and at the consulates in Basra and Erbil.

Melvin Asencio

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist
Jair joined HALO’s Northern Triangle team in October 2021 as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist, bringing with him over 20 years of experience. His previous positions include Explosive Ordnance Doctrine Analyst, Tactical Supervisor, and EOD Technician for the Explosive Ordnance Handling Group. He holds a Technological Specialist qualification in Explosives from the School of Military Engineers of Colombia.

Jair Erazo

Operations Manager, Central America
Jose served as an infantry officer in the Argentinean Army for 18 years, completing five tours with the UN. He holds a degree in business administration and logistics and has served as an instructor and professor at the Argentinean Military Academy. Following his military career, he worked as a logistics manager for a group of companies with over 2000 employees. José joined HALO in 2022 and assumed the role of Northern Triangle Operations Manager in January 2024.

José Díaz Lastra

Project Manager El Salvador
Julieta joined HALO El Salvador in May 2023 as Project Manager. She has more than 12 years of experience in administration, finance, logistics and purchasing. She joined the HALO El Salvador team with the objective of being part of the initiatives and projects that contribute to a safer and violence-free El Salvador. She has a degree in Marketing and Advertising and a specialization in Logistics and Operations. In her free time she practices hiking and being in contact with nature.

Julieta Chamagua

Regional Construction Manager
During this time, he has implemented over 20 construction projects within the framework of Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM) and supported Humanitarian Demining programs in challenging contexts. Additionally, he has provided technical assistance to other programs and departments within the organization.

Luis Eduardo Rodríguez

Show more

Useful Info

  • Policies and safeguarding
  • FAQs
  • Tenders

Get Involved

  • Donate now
  • Raise money

Get In Touch

  • Contact us
  • Press office
Sitemap | Terms of use | Privacy policy | Cookies Policy
The HALO Trust | Copyright © 2025
Sign up for our newsletter
Visit our HALO USA website

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