As of today, 58 States and two territories remain contaminated with anti-personnel mines, and the need for focused and unwavering commitment to get all of them over the finish line by completing clearance is as important as ever.
In 2023, global mine clearance of 237 square kilometres was the highest ever recorded, with 192,563 AP mines destroyed during land release and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) spot tasks. While these are impressive numbers, it is important to note that only a handful of countries account for the majority of the clearance and that in more than a quarter of those with a landmine problem, no clearance is reported to have taken place in 2023.
Read more…
Source: Reliefweb
Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter
Related:
- UN pledges to eliminate threat of explosive hazards in Somalia
April 4, 2022
The United Nations on Monday reaffirmed its support for freeing Somalia from explosive hazards and highlighted the impact that the scourge has on the citizens. James Swan, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Somalia, said the world body is determined to bolster national capabilities to counter threats posed by explosive devices in a sustainable manner. “The continued ...
- Sri Lanka: Japan supports humanitarian demining activities in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts
March 26, 2022
The Government of Japan has provided a total sum of US$ 604,412 (approx. Rs. 120 million) to Skavita Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP) for humanitarian demining activities in Northern Sri Lanka. The grant contract was signed on 25th March 2022 at the Ambassador’s Residence in Colombo, between Ambassador of Japan Hideaki Mizukoshi, and Major Gen. ...
- Cambodia, EuroCham discuss mine action cooperation
March 25, 2022
Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and the European Chamber of Commerce of Cambodia (EuroCham Cambodia) have discussed a cooperation on mine clearance in Cambodia. The discussion took place here at the CMAA headquarters between Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice President of CMAA and Tassilo Brinzer, Chairman of EuroCham Cambodia. Ly Thuch informed ...
- France Renews its Commitment to Protecting Civilians impacted by Explosive Ordnance in Iraq
March 22, 2022
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) welcomes an additional contribution of EUR 480,000 (approximately USD 550,000) from the Crisis and Support Center of the French ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs that will support life-saving mine action activities in Iraq. Activities will include survey and clearance of areas liberated from Da’esh contaminated with explosive ...
- Japan donates around US$1.2 million to Angola’s mine clearance projects
March 5, 2022
The Government of Japan on Thursday made available around 1.2 million U. S. dollars to support demining projects in Angola’s provinces of Cuanza Sul and Moxico. Two non-governmental organizations are entitled to implement the projects namely the Association of Angolan Professionals in Action Against Mines (Apacominas) and the international NGO Mine Advisory Group (MAG). During the donation ...
- Laos destroys 1.7M UXO devices during 1996-2021
March 3, 2022
Nearly 1.7 million unexploded ordnance (UXO) items had been destroyed by clearance teams in Laos from 1996 to December 31, 2021, while over 71,000 hectares of land were cleared of munitions. The figures were released at a consultation meeting on the Draft Unexploded Ordnance National Strategic Plan in Laos “Safe Path Forward III” for 2021-2030 in ...
- Cambodia: Japan set to fund $41M of mine clearance and water supply systems
March 1, 2022
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn and Japanese ambassador Masahiro Mikami are set to sign an exchange of letters and related documents on Japanese aid for two projects with a total budget of $41 million on March 2. A February 28 press release from the ministry’s information department said: “The first project is ...
- Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority launches information dissemination campaign in Preah Vihear
February 24, 2022
The Mine authority erected billboards to raise awareness of the dangers of mine and UXOs, which is part of the information campaign and part of efforts to keep injury and deaths caused by the war relics down. The installation took place on the afternoon of February 23 in Choam Ksan District, Preah Vihear according to the ...
- Cambodia: Kep to become first Mine-free province this year
February 13, 2022
Kep will become the first Cambodian province without mine by this year, according to the provincial administration. A meeting on the preparation of an official ceremony to declare the province’s mine-free status was organised this week. Prum Sopheakmongkul, Secretary General of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAC) and Vao Sokha, Deputy Governor of Kep province co-chaired the ...
- In Iraq, the Bitter Legacy of War Still Lies Hidden Underground
February 12, 2022
Like the neck of a giraffe, a minesweeping vehicle extends a serrated bucket forward and dips its teeth into the blighted earth. It drags the dry soil backward, sifting, before harvesting a jerrycan and gently placing it on the edge of a field. This is no harmless piece of trash; the container holds 20 liters (or ...
- Vietnam: Resuming Operations After Tet Holiday, RENEW/NPA Teams Safely Destroyed Dozens of Unexploded Ordnance
February 8, 2022
At a clearance site in Gio Hai Commune, Gio Linh District, RENEW/NPA clearance teams on Tuesday found 31 explosive items, including cluster munitions and other explosive ordnance, most of which was uncovered from a cache. The team later safely destroyed these explosive munitions on-site before their working day ended. This was the first task conducted by ...
- Cambodia seeks additional resources to support full demining by 2025
February 8, 2022
The request was made during the meeting between Senior Minister Ly Thuch, the first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and Juan Carlos Ruan, director of the ISU-APMBC, held at the CMAA office in Phnom Penh yesterday. It also comes at an appropriate time when the Kingdom prepares to celebrate its ...
- Cambodia, Norway renew mine clearance cooperation
February 2, 2022
Cambodia and Norway have reaffirmed mutual commitment for both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, especially on mine clearance sector. The commitment was renewed during a recent meeting between Director General of Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), Heng Ratana, and Head of Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in Cambodia, Rune Kristian Dale Anderson, at CMAC headquarters in Phnom Penh. The ...
- UN demining body explodes landmines in South Sudan
January 27, 2022
After decades of civil war, landmines and unexploded bombs still contaminate large tracts of South Sudan’s landscape, threatening the lives and livelihoods of its residents. In the village of Gondokoro, a few kilometres from the capital Juba, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) removes explosive remnants of war. Read more… Source: Euronews
- Afghanistan: Norwegian charities pledge humanitarian assistance during IEA’s visit to Oslo
January 26, 2022
Representatives of Norwegian charities and organizations met with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, during his three-day visit to Oslo, and pledged assistance to Afghanistan in various fields, including health and education. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi wrote on his Twitter account that the meeting was attended by seven Norwegian charitable organizations and associations. He said ...
- Cambodia: Mekong UXO search off until waters recede in Kandal and Preveng provinces
January 24, 2022
Officials have requested modern technological equipment to enable them to continue their work of collecting unexploded ordnance (UXO) in sunken warships in the Mekong River in four areas of Kandal and Preveng provinces. Authorities have found many weapons and other UXOs in Lvea Em and Khsach Kandal districts of Kandal province and in Peam Chor and ...
- Cambodia: CMAC discusses training for deminers with Colombian Ambassador
January 23, 2022
Cambodia Mine Action Centre (CMAC) director-general Heng Ratana had a meeting with Colombian Ambassador Ana Maria Prieto Abad to discuss training demining experts on Friday at CMAC’s office. Ratana said that they discussed a number of remarkable efforts and commitments for both bilateral and multilateral cooperation. He added that through strengthening their cooperation, Cambodia and Colombia have ...
- Japan to assist Cambodia to become a landmine-free nation
January 18, 2022
Japan’s assistance to Cambodia in the decade’s long battle to clear vast areas of landmines in the country would perhaps be close to taking yet another step forward, going by the words of Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hayashi Yoshimasa. According to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, a conversation to that effect took place ...
- Beijing clears US bombs before constructing China-Laos railway
January 14, 2022
Despite ending nearly 50 years ago, US military operations in Laos have left behind a legacy of destruction that still endangers lives today. On Dec 3, 2021, the China-Laos railway opened to traffic, connecting Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province with Lao capital Vientiane. Read more… Source: The Express Tribune
- Cambodia: Temple tourist sites are mine clearing priorities
January 9, 2022
The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has cleared more than 40ha of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in two temple areas in Preah Vihear province and continues to do so at the request of the National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV), according to an NAPV Facebook post. The post added that CMAC began clearing landmines there ...
- First graduation ceremony for 28 female deminers in Sudan
December 27, 2021
After a month-long training, the first batch of 28 young women graduated in basic humanitarian demining, joining only one other female deminer in Sudan. The successful completion of the training is an unprecedented achievement for both mine action and Sudan and was celebrated at a graduation ceremony organized by UNMAS and the National Mine Action Center ...
- Connecticut: Greenwich students learn how mine detection dogs make ‘this planet a safer place’
December 22, 2021
Sammy, a Belgian shepherd, paid a visit to local students recently as part of the Marshall Legacy Institute’s annual CHAMPS presentation on the importance of her former work as a mine detection dog. Sammy, who retired from her work in the fall of 2019 as a mine detection dog, visited with the third-, fourth- and fifth-graders ...