This report presents the findings of a mixed-methods study exploring the contributing factors, circumstances, and consequences of unexploded ordnance (UXO) accidents in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos). The study, commissioned by the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector in Lao PDR (NRA) and funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), aims to inform national and sectoral efforts to strengthen evidence-based Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and victim assistance.

As the most heavily bombed country per capita globally, Laos continues to face a pervasive threat from an estimated 80 million unexploded ordnance, with contamination and accompanying accident risk disproportionately falling on poor, rural, and ethnic minority communities. UXO accidents can cause severe and sustained challenges for survivors and their families, including physical disability, psychological trauma, educational disruption, and income loss.

This exploratory, mixed-methods study aims to fill previous research gaps by directly engaging with 50 UXO survivors (32 adults and 18 children along with caregivers) from five high-incidence provinces, to better understand survivor perspectives on UXO accident circumstances and impacts.