"HALO Trust" — an organization known for dubious and suspicious activities in the field of demining

The Azerbaijani analytical resource Faktyoxla.az has published material devoted to the activities of the British nonprofit organization The HALO Trust, which for many years was engaged in demining in Karabakh (1995–2023).

The article examines in detail the history of HALO Trust's illegal presence on the territory of Azerbaijan without the permission of official Baku, criticizes the results of its work, and presents data on the distortion of facts, inconsistencies in financial reporting, and the promotion of narratives in the interests of the Armenian side.

1news.az presents this article:

On October 21, 2026, at a meeting with the co-rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons in the Third Committee of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN stated that more than 13% of the territory of Azerbaijan is contaminated with mines and other explosive remnants of war, and that since 2020 more than 400 civilians have become victims of this terror.

These figures, voiced from the UN rostrum, and the call for accountability from the international community once again bring an important question onto the agenda: what were the international organizations that for almost 30 years during the period of occupation operated in Karabakh under the guise of "humanitarian demining" and claimed to have cleared more than 90% of the territory actually doing?

The British organization "The HALO Trust," which is engaged in humanitarian demining around the world, at one time — more precisely, in 1995–2023 — carried out illegal activities on the lands of Azerbaijan under Armenian occupation, ignoring Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the norms of international law.

Studies show that the nearly 30-year illegal presence of "HALO Trust" in the occupied territories served not humanitarian purposes, but the interests of the separatist regime. Displaying sharp selectivity, the organization cleared only the territories where Armenians lived, while deliberately leaving untouched the strategic routes and military strips along which the Azerbaijani Army could move, seeking to preserve the existing conditions. The organization's true intentions are exposed by the fact that upon leaving the region they deliberately rendered their equipment unusable and to this day are conducting a smear campaign against Azerbaijan on their official resources.

Most importantly, during the period of its activity in Karabakh, "HALO Trust" claimed to have cleared 80–90% of the territory of mines. However, after the 2020 war, the bitter reality came to light: more than 1 million mines had been laid in the region. If the territory was mined on such a scale, what was the organization actually doing for almost 30 years? To find the answer to this question, it is important to examine the activities of "HALO Trust" in other countries and to clarify the organization's global business model.

What is "The HALO Trust"?

"The HALO Trust" is a British charitable and American nonprofit organization engaged in the disposal of mines and unexploded ordnance that may pose a danger to civilians. The name "HALO" stands for "Hazardous Area Life-Support Organization."

The organization was founded in 1988 by a member of the British Parliament and former colonel Colin Campbell Mitchell with the aim of solving the mine problem in Afghanistan. Its head office is located in the United Kingdom (Scotland), and in the United States a special fundraising unit operates for the organization's global activities.

The historic visit of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997 together with "HALO Trust" to a minefield in Angola played an enormous role in popularizing the organization and the campaign to ban anti-personnel mines throughout the world.

According to a statement on the organization's official resource, the main mission of "The HALO Trust" is to protect the lives of people affected by conflicts, to restore livelihoods, and to clear land plots and populated areas of mines, cluster bombs, and improvised explosive devices. The organization's scope of activity also includes the collection and disposal or securing of illegal stockpiles of weapons and ammunition left in conflict zones, as well as conducting explosive-safety training for people living in at-risk regions, especially children.

At present, the organization operates in more than 30 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. With more than 8,000 employees on a global scale, "The HALO Trust" recruits approximately 95% of its personnel from representatives of local communities affected by mines (the organization states that in doing so it contributes to reducing poverty by providing them with jobs).

Illegal activities in Karabakh

Nevertheless, for 28 years "The HALO Trust" carried out "humanitarian demining" activities in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, occupied by the Armed Forces of Armenia, without the permission of official Baku. These activities met with sharp protest from local media and official structures, and the organization was periodically accused of serving political interests.

In 1995–1996, as part of an 18-month program, the organization conducted illegal training sessions and an initial assessment in the territory. After the completion of this program, under far-fetched pretexts such as management shortcomings and various accidents, the organization was invited back to the region in 1999. And from 2000, permanent activity in the territory began, and a quasi-body called the "Nagorno-Karabakh Mine Action Centre" (NKMAC) was established.

According to statements to the media, in 2000–2010 thousands of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) were neutralized, tens of thousands of hectares of land plots were cleared of mines, and the number of mine incidents apparently dropped sharply (for example, if in 1995 33 incidents were recorded, in subsequent years this figure fell). Up to 2004, it was claimed that 500,000 square meters of territory had been cleared.

Information circulated in 2009 reported that about 125,000 square meters of territory had been cleared, and more than 7,200 anti-personnel mines, more than 2,200 anti-tank mines, and thousands of cluster bombs had been destroyed. In 2010, the organization marked the "10th anniversary" of its illegal activities and stated that by that time 80% of the territory had already been cleared.

In 2011, the Azerbaijani state placed the "HALO Trust" organization on a "blacklist" for activities on its territory without official permission. And after the "April battles" of 2016, the organization resorted to yet another political manipulation. Thus, under the pretext of alleged new contamination with "cluster bombs" after those clashes, additional financial support was attracted from "World Without Mines" and other donors.

In 2017–2018, the number of the organization's employees, consisting mainly of local residents, was increased to 130–240 people. In 2018, three of the organization's employees died as a result of a mine explosion in Aghdere, and two were seriously injured. According to the organization's calculations, in 2000–2016 more than 8,700 anti-personnel mines, more than 2,500 anti-tank mines, and more than 12,000 cluster bombs were destroyed, as a result of which about 88–90% of the territory was cleared of mines. Let us pay particular attention to the figure: 88–90%!

In September–November 2020 (during the Second Karabakh War), the organization's activities came to a complete halt. After the war, the main focus was shifted to the disposal of "cluster munition remnants" (CMR) and "unexploded ordnance" (UXO), and demining activities took a back seat. It was precisely during this period that, under the pretext that the program was "practically completed," financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was discontinued.

Information released by the organization in 2021 reported the clearing of another 4 square meters of territory of cluster munition remnants (CMR), the disposal of thousands of cluster bombs, as well as small explosive devices from rockets or artillery shells that scatter in the air over a wide area. And in 2022, about 2.85 km² of territory was cleared of such munitions. During that period, after a protest action by Azerbaijani environmental activists in the Lachin corridor, the organization's activities were sharply restricted, and the number of personnel was reduced to 64–100 people.

After the local anti-terror measures carried out on September 19–20, 2023, the organization's local employees moved to Armenia in full, and the program's illegal activities on the territory of Azerbaijan were completely terminated. After this, "The HALO Trust" office in Yerevan was expanded, and the organization began implementing social assistance projects in Armenia.

Smear campaign and financial questions

Despite the termination of illegal activities in Karabakh, a "Nagorno-Karabakh" section referring to the separatist regime is still maintained on the organization's official internet resource.

Putting forward absurd claims under the title "Thanks to donors," the organization, following the old script, demonstrates disregard for the norms of international law. This appeal, which accuses Azerbaijan of "siege and military attack" ("After a siege and military attack in October 2023, 120,000 Armenians were forced to leave their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh. This tragedy has forever changed countless lives"), ignoring the right to sovereignty recognized by the international community, is not simply an expression of gratitude to donor partners, but an attempt to distort facts and to conduct yet another smear campaign against Azerbaijan.

It should also be noted that in the "Where we work" section of the organization's website, information (a false report) related to Karabakh still remains.

Returning to the aforementioned "appeal," one point should be especially emphasized: it was precisely this appeal that provided an important key to detecting one of the financial falsifications committed by the organization to date. Thus, the appeal states: "Thanks to the generous support of our donors, HALO has been able to help vulnerable internally displaced families. More than 1,200 people received essential assistance and direct cash support to purchase food, transport, housing, and other important needs."

The official report of the "HALO Trust" organization for the 2023/24 financial year (for the period through March 31, 2024) mentions the closure of the "Nagorno-Karabakh program," the relocation to Armenia of more than 100,000 Armenians (including the organization's entire local personnel), the deaths of two "HALO" employees and the wife of one employee during an explosion at a fuel depot, as well as the evacuation of personnel in vehicles. The report also reports the expansion of the Yerevan office and the provision of professional and social assistance to the evacuated personnel.

However, the statement on the organization's website that "more than 1,200 people received essential assistance and direct cash support for food, transport, housing, and other needs" is not confirmed by exact figures in the annual report or other key official documents. The report mainly emphasizes support provided only to local personnel (about 100 employees and their families). The details of "providing assistance" to a total of 1,200 people are not reflected in any official document on this topic.

In 2022–2023, "HALO" announced a "cash assistance campaign for vulnerable families" during the environmentalists' protest action in the Lachin corridor (it was planned to allocate assistance in the amount of $250,000 for approximately 1,000 vulnerable families). However, this figure also cannot be found in the organization's financial reports for 2022/23. Although we have already described the "Nagorno-Karabakh" page on the website, just in case, we were unable to find documents confirming this indicator either on that page, or in other open reports, or in "GlobalGiving" project documents, or in other public resources.

Who financed these activities?

So who financed this organization's illegal activities on the territory of Azerbaijan?
Information on expenditures and donors for the demining activities carried out by "HALO Trust" in the former "Nagorno-Karabakh" region is based on the figures of the "Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor," the organization's annual reports, CEPA, "EVN Report," "Eurasianet," and other open sources. Since the organization does not publish full detailed open statistics and expenditures at the level of annual programs every year, there is no single and precise indicator of the total budget across all years. Nevertheless, on the basis of annual reports and official statements, it is possible to outline the overall financial picture.