...and £250,000 for Diana’s Scots charity on daring mission to clear Putin’s bombs
WITH nerves of steel, they will risk their lives to protect innocent civilians from the lethal detritus of war.
Despite battles raging across Ukraine, experts at the The Halo Trust are preparing to clear landmines and unexploded bombs that litter key routes so that refugees and aid convoys can move around the country more safely.
And today the Mail Force charity is announcing a £250,000 donation to help them in this life-saving endeavour. The money – raised thanks to the incredible generosity of Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail readers – will help buy The Halo Trust new vehicles and mine detecting equipment.
Founded more than 30 years ago, the trust shot to global prominence in 1997 when Princess Diana walked through a minefield being cleared by Halo in Angola. And Prince Harry this weekend praised the ‘amazing efforts’ of Halo’s Ukrainian team during a video call with two women working for the charity.
Around 430 Ukrainian Halo staff were already searching for and clearing bombs and booby traps in eastern Ukraine before Russia’s invasion. They are now establishing a new base in the
‘There are lots of new types of munitions in Ukraine that we have not faced before’
west of the country, from which they will protect families from explosives and map where bombs fall for future clearance.
A key element of Halo’s plan is to escort convoys of aid through areas that have seen recent fighting. Their experts will either clear or mark unexploded bombs so they can be avoided.
Halo’s programme manager in Ukraine, Mairi Cunningham, from Broughty Ferry, Angus, hailed the generosity of Mail readers. ‘I just want to say a big thank you – the support is essential to protect the lives of Ukrainian civilians,’ the 33-year-old said. ‘The reality is it’s painstaking and labour-intensive work. There are lots of new types of munitions in Ukraine that we have not faced before. The scale of it and the fact there has been such targeting of urban centres makes it particularly challenging.’
Described as Scotland’s biggest charity, Halo’s global HQ is in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway.