While in Vientiane, Mike and I stopped by the COPE Visitor Center.
Although not widely known, Laos is the most bombed country in the world. That’s thanks to the efforts of the United States during the Vietnam War.
Of the 270 million bombies dropped on Laos, 30 percent did not detonate. Approximately 80 million bombies still remain and are known as unexploded ordinances (UXOs). This means that approximately 25 percent of Laotian villages are still contaminated with live explosives.
It is estimated that between 1964 and 2011, more than 50,000 people have been killed or injured in incidences involving UXOs. Appalling.
People who are simply digging in their gardens or children playing in the fields are dying or losing limbs when they unexpectedly come into contact with a UXO.
The COPE Center is working to help people affected by UXOs move on from their tragedy. Through a number of programs, COPE provides prosthetic limbs, physical therapy, transportation, and financial support to those in need. In addition, COPE works to raise awareness of cluster bombs and ban their future use.
I was incredibly impressed by the COPE Center. The museum was carefully curated, the stories were powerful, and the overall atmosphere was one of hope and positivity. Nothing in the literature alluded to bitterness towards the US, and as you can plainly see, there is much to be bitter about.
To learn more about the COPE Center visit here.
To watch a very touching short documentary click here. I really recommend it.
And if you’d like to buy a leg, you can do that too.
xo, jill
Statistics from posters on display at the center.
I’ve never made it to COPE, and I regret it… they seem like such a great organization! I dropped by MAG instead – visiting either one is such an important thing to do in Laos!