The woman who destroys bombs: HI deminer featured on BBC

Humanity & Inclusion’s demining team in Laos was recently featured in Earth’s Natural Wonders on BBC1. You can watch our teams in action below!

Lumngen in a bunker left by a cluster bomb. | © Philippa Poussereau/HI

Humanity & Inclusion’s demining team in Laos recently appeared in the BBC1 series Earth’s Natural Wonders.

Episode 3, "Surviving Against The Odds", features the inspiring story of Lumngen, a mother of two who decided to become a deminer with HI to help protect others from her father’s fate.

Watch on Youtube

Lumngen was only a child when her father was injured by a cluster munition while planting his field. "He eventually healed and went on to live for many years. He died of an illness in 2015.” explains Lumngen.

“However, I will never forget what he suffered. My dad’s experience gave me the power to decide to become a deminer." she adds.

During the 1964 to 1973 Indochina conflict, Laos was the scene of extensive ground battles and intensive aerial bombardments. Records indicate that over two million tonnes of bombs were used, including more than 270 million sub-munitions from cluster bombs, and that up to 30% of them failed to explode.

The BBC documentary shows how, decades after the conflict ended, Lumngen and her team risk their lives every day to clear the land.

How to watch

You can watch Earth’s Natural Wonders Episode 3, "Surviving Against The Odds" on BBC iPlayer for a limited period. The part of the episode featuring HI's team is available to view above, or you can watch it on Youtube.

Please share the information with your friends and family!