A Norwegian aid group has suspended mine clearing activities in 13 countries following the freezing of US foreign aid, one of its directors told AFP on Monday. Last year, Norwegian People’s Aid received $41 million from US authorities to support its demining activities around the world.
On Friday, “we were told that we had to put on hold all activities that had received US support while the US authorities reviewed their aid,” Aksel Steen-Nilsen, Director of Humanitarian Mine Action and Disarmament at the NGO, told AFP.
Read more…
Source: Barron’s News
Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter
Related:
- Cambodia: US pledges $600,000 in demining support
September 29, 2025
The United States signed a Grant Cooperation Agreement worth $600,000 on Saturday to support Cambodia’s demining efforts over a five-month period from November to April next year. The funds will be funnelled through Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) to the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC). The deal was signed during a visit from US Congress members to ...
- DR Congo: UNMAS, KOICA and CCLMA conclude major demining project
August 28, 2025
The project “Sustainable Mine Action in Support of Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and Communities Affected by Conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, funded by KOICA for $6 million USD, and implemented by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in partnership with the Congolese Mine Action Center (CCLAM) was conducted in three provinces: Ituri, ...
- Libya: Lack of funding hinders mine clearance despite efforts by international organizations
August 20, 2025
An analytical report published by the English-speaking Senegalese “African Press Agency” has highlighted the ongoing threat of explosive remnants of war in Libya, which have posed a direct danger to civilian lives since 2011. Widespread Presence of Unexploded Ordnance The report explained that tens of thousands of mines, improvised explosive devices, and heavy shells remain scattered ...
- UNODC Supports Burkina Faso in strengthening its response to the evolving threat of Improvised Explosive Devices
August 18, 2025
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) pose a grave security threat in the Sahel region. Threatening lives and livelihoods, the widespread use of IEDs by terrorist groups in the Sahel leads to increased loss of life, serious injuries, and psychological trauma among military and security forces, as well as civilian populations, in addition to substantial damage to ...
- Ethiopia Requests UN to Extend Landmine Clearance Deadline for Third Time
August 16, 2025
Ethiopia has requested the UN to again extend a deadline to clear landmines left strewn by wars old and new, placing people at risk on more than 125 million hectares of land. Ethiopia acceded to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) in 2004 and was initially obligated to clear all known contamination before June 2015—a ...
- Ukrainian sappers to train at Middle East mine action school with funding from Paris
August 4, 2025
Ukraine will take another step toward the safe de-occupation and clearing of war remnants. On 4 August, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced that sappers from the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the State Special Transport Service will be trained at the Regional School for Humanitarian Demining at the Lebanese Mine Action Center. The program will be funded ...
- Japan’s aid agency, U.N. sign deal to expand mine action cooperation
July 21, 2025
The government-backed Japan International Cooperation Agency and a U.N. unit in charge of landmine countermeasures have concluded an agreement to expand their cooperation in disposing of the munitions in Africa and other areas. JICA said the deal with the United Nations Mine Action Service, or UNMAS, aims to cement their collaborative ties in the field, particularly ...
- Afghanistan: The deadly threat to children as mine action faces funding shortfalls
July 14, 2025
As recently as June 24, 2025, two children were killed and two injured after one of them struck an unexploded device with an axe in Dar-e-Noor, Nagahar province. 6.4 million Afghans live at risk of unexploded ordnance (UXO), with children making up 80 percent of blast casualties and injuries. Whether playing in the streets or on ...
- Pentagon Allocates $130 Million in 2026 for Syrian Democratic Forces Operations
July 7, 2025
The U.S. Department of Defense has designated $130 million in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget under the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF) to support vetted Syrian groups and individuals, including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Free Army (SFA), for their central role in the enduring defeat of ISIS across Northeast (Western ...
- Italy bolsters Ukraine’s humanitarian demining efforts with EUR 1.5 million contribution via UNDP
June 20, 2025
Italy has announced a new significant contribution to Ukraine’s humanitarian demining efforts, formalized today through the official signing of a EUR 1.5 million agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine. The agreement, the principle beneficiary of which will be the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, aims to bolster the UNDP Mine Action Programme ...
- The European Union donates 15 off-road vehicles to BiH Mine Action Centre to strengthen mine clearance efforts
June 19, 2025
The European Union donated 15 off-road vehicles to Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre (BHMAC) today in Sarajevo. These vehicles will support the safe transport of demining teams and equipment to remote and hard-to-reach mine-suspected areas, enabling more efficient demining operations on the ground. The vehicles are procured under the larger EU funded Mine Action project, ...
- Ukraine faces $25 billion bill for farmland demining
June 16, 2025
Demining agricultural lands in Ukraine contaminated with explosive devices could cost nearly ₴1 trillion (about $25 billion), MP Nina Yuzhanina wrote on Telegram on June 14. “Economy Ministry data indicated that 30 auctions for demining agricultural lands totaling 5,370 hectares have been held since the beginning of 2025,” she wrote. “The final price of the work ...
- Ukraine: Cost of demining 1 ha of farmland stands at UAH 62,000
June 16, 2025
Almost UAH 1 trillion will be required to clear lands contaminated with explosive devices in Ukraine, MP Nina Yuzhanina reported on Telegram. ” According to the Ministry of Economy, 30 auctions have been held since the beginning of 2025 to demined agricultural lands with a total area of 5,370 hectares. The final cost of the work ...
- Ukraine: Europe largely fills the US aid withdrawal, lead by the Nordics and the UK
June 16, 2025
Aid flows to Ukraine shifted significantly in March and April 2025. While the United States allocated no new aid during this period, European countries increased their support. As a result, Europe has, for the first time since June 2022, surpassed the U.S. in total military aid, totaling EUR 72 billion compared to EUR 65 billion from ...
- Cambodia: Koh Kong’s Srae Ambel district declared mine-free
June 10, 2025
Srae Ambel District in Koh Kong Province was declared mine-free in a June 10 ceremony, with mine clearance efforts supported by assistance from the Government of India. Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of India. He noted that it has ...
- Sri Lanka: Japan extends its support for humanitarian demining activities in North – East
June 4, 2025
Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of Japan to Sri Lanka Kamoshida Naoaki signed grant contracts for two demining projects with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and the HALO Trust (HALO) under the scheme of “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)” recently. The Japanese Government has provided US$ 900,000 (Rs. 270 million) for these two ...
- UNDP: 16 high-tech underwater drones to boost humanitarian demining in Ukraine
May 29, 2025
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine has handed over 16 hi-tech uncrewed underwater systems (UUS) to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) and conducted an 8-day training course for SESU specialists on their use. This support was made possible with funding from the governments of the Republic of Korea, France, and New Zealand. ...
- UNMAS South Sudan welcomes support from the Government of Japan
May 28, 2025
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) recently welcomed a contribution from the Government of Japan to support the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) of South Sudan in strengthening its capacity to coordinate and oversee the mine action sector. South Sudan faces severe challenges from explosive ordnance contamination, endangering civilian lives and delaying humanitarian assistance. This ...
- Sweden contributes SEK 4.8 billion to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capability
May 26, 2025
The international community has established a number of funds and initiatives for the procurement of materiel and equipment to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capability. Sweden provides support to several of them. On 22 May, the Government instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to provide additional economic donations worth approximately SEK 4.8 billion. These donations are part of a ...
- NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme launches new call for research proposals
May 26, 2025
The NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme promotes dialogue and practical cooperation between Allies and NATO partners based on scientific research, technological innovation and knowledge exchange. The Programme aims to strengthen the Alliance to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, and it is pleased to announce a new call for research proposals. The ...
- EU announces €80 million humanitarian aid package for Yemen
May 21, 2025
The Commission has announced €80 million in EU humanitarian funding for 2025 to support people in need in Yemen. Yemen continues to rank among the worst humanitarian crises in the world. One decade of conflict, economic deterioration and recurrent climate-induced events have left 19.5 million people in need. This humanitarian will target food and health services ...
- US airport security agency does not rule out privatization
May 20, 2025
The acting head of Transportation Security Administration said on Tuesday the agency did not rule out considering a plan to privatize the government agency while defending a proposed cut for screening officers. “Nothing is off the table,” Acting TSA Administrator Ha McNeill said at U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. “If new privatization schemes make sense, then ...