Africa CDC urges Western countries to boost funding for mpox response

The head of the African Union’s health agency has called on Western countries to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and not abandon Africa amid an ongoing mpox outbreak. Dr Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Read More …

US announces $700 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine

The U.S. will provide Ukraine with $700 million in humanitarian aid to support displaced Ukrainians, the energy grid in Ukraine, and demining efforts, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in Kyiv on Sept. 11. The U.S. will provide $325 Read More …

Ukraine: Government will compensate 100% of the cost of demining to farmers who demine agricultural land

The Cabinet of Ministers has increased the amount of compensation for agricultural producers who plan to demine agricultural land from 80% to 100%. The programme will also now be open to those farmers who have a tax debt for land Read More …

Croatia donates robotic mine clearance system to Ukraine

Croatia has announced the transfer of a robotic mine clearance system to Ukraine. The relevant certificate was handed over to Ukrainian representatives by Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anušić and the heads of the manufacturing company during the Globsec international conference Read More …

Pacific Islands leaders back Australia-funded joint policing plan

Pacific Islands states have backed an Australian-funded regional policing plan to improve training and create a multinational crisis reaction force. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said leaders endorsed the 400 million Australian dollars ($271m) proposal at their summit in Tonga Read More …

WHO needs $87.4m to contain Mpox outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it needs 87.4 million dollars for more than six months to work with countries, partners and other stakeholders to contain the current outbreak of Mpox. The world body said on Tuesday in a statement Read More …

Sri Lanka: Japan to extend its support to humanitarian demining activities in Northern Province

Ambassador of Japan – Mr. Mizukoshi Hideaki, today (Aug. 22) signed the grant contracts of two demining projects under the scheme of “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”, with Major Gen. (retd) Mr. Sumathi Ranjan Balasuriya, Director & Read More …

Women take the lead as handlers in UNDP’s Technical Survey Dogs project for demining in Ukraine

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is proud to announce the launch of an innovative project in Ukraine that is set to transform demining operations and create critical methodologies for mine action. This initiative features the deployment of sixteen Technical Read More …

Japan: Implementation of training program on the operation of large demining machines for the staff of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine

As part of its assistance in mine action, which is an urgent issue in Ukraine, Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), conducted training programs from late July to August to staff members of the State Emergency Service of Read More …

Why is Switzerland offering cash prizes to retrieve munitions from lakes?

The Swiss Federal Department of Defence Procurement (Armasuisse) is offering 50,000 Swiss francs ($57,800) for the three best ideas on how to retrieve some 12,000 tonnes of old munitions from the country’s lakes, including Lake Thun, Lake Brienz and Lake Read More …

Japan to purchase equipment for humanitarian demining in Ukraine and hand it over to the SES

Japan has ordered 12 minibuses and 8 trailers from Ukrainian manufacturers for the SES. The equipment is part of JICA’s support package for demining in Ukraine, with a total funding of more than $70 million. Japan will buy equipment for Read More …

EU allocating EUR 2M for new humanitarian mine action initiative in Ukraine

The European Union is allocating EUR 2 million to finance a new humanitarian mine action initiative in Ukraine, which will be carried out by Ukrainian handlers with their highly trained dogs. The relevant statement was made by the Delegation of Read More …

UNDP and Netherlands launch mine action training for persons with disabilities in Ukraine

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with support from the Government of the Netherlands, has launched a pioneering project to train a group of 12 persons with disabilities, who have impairments due to Explosive Ordnance, in the use Read More …

MAG successfully completes UK funded project in Laos

Following a UK fundraising appeal in 2022, MAG has successfully completed a year-long project in Laos, as a direct result of donations received through the campaign. The ‘Unlock the Land’ appeal raised close to £450,000, including £211,336 of matched funding Read More …

Lebanon: Japan supports mine action in El Mechref in El Chouf District

Handicap International Federation (HI), to enhance community safety by clearing explosive remnants of war in El Mechref village, Chouf district. On August 6, 2024, Ambassador MAGOSHI Masayuki signed a grant contract with Mr. Aurelien Thienpont, Country Manager of HI. HI Read More …

The Government of Denmark Provides Additional Contribution to UNMAS in Support of the Mine Action Sector in Iraq

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq welcomes an additional contribution of DKK 22,000,000 (approximately USD 3,173,170) from the Government of Denmark, which will contribute to support the Government of Iraq (GoI) to protect civilians from the threat Read More …

OCHA reports 110 die in landmine explosions in Afghanistan every month

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan (OCHA) says that explosive devices kill 110 people every month across the country. This report states that since 1989, 45,000 people have been victims of landmines and explosive remnants in Read More …

US provided $38M for humanitarian mine action programs in Azerbaijan

Since 1999, the United States has provided almost $38 million to support humanitarian mine action programs in Azerbaijan, the US Embassy in Baku said on X, Report informs. The embassy congratulated the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) on Read More …

SIGAR finds US aid vetting failures may have benefited militants in Afghanistan

Two State Department bureaus could not prove compliance with internal policies for vetting aid groups in Afghanistan that received $293 million in funds, Washington’s Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said Wednesday. “It is critical that State knows who Read More …