UXO is a legacy of the Indochina war in the 1960's and early 1970's. UXO continues to maim and kill innocent civilians, including children as well as farmers working their fields. With as much as one-half of the country's total land mass subject to UXO contamination, significant amounts of otherwise productive land cannot be cultivated, further contributing to problems of food insecurity and poverty. The Lao Government, with assistance from UNDP and UNICEF, established the UXO Trust Fund in August 1995 and subsequently established a national directed UXO awareness and clearance program. The activities of public awareness and clearance are under way in the provinces affected by UXO.