El Salvador

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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 a large number 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).

10100
Light weapons destroyed
3200
Tons of explosives
476423
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’. 

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Our Work in El Salvador is Funded By:

 

The Government of the United States

Meet Our Team in El Salvador

Project Manager Central America
Alan serves as the Programme Manager for Central America, responsible for overseeing WAM activities in the Northern Triangle and the Mangrove reforestation project in El Salvador. Before joining HALO, Alan led a programme aimed at strengthening state and civil society actors working across Central America to promote the rights of vulnerable populations. He possesses experience in community-based crime prevention and justice sector reform to enhance security in high-crime areas, as well as humanitarian aid delivery following natural disasters.

Alan Quinn

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