Humanitarian mine action – global engagement against mines and cluster munitions

Landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) still kill or maim thousands of people around the world each year. When the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Treaty) entered into force 20 years ago, the number of victims initially Read More …

Western Sahara: Moroccan mines cause new victims

A Mauritanian citizen was injured Monday following the explosion of a Moroccan fragmentation bomb in an area close to the Moroccan wall, at about 90km from the Sahrawi region of Tifariti. According to the Sahrawi Office of Mine Action Coordination Read More …

Explosive ordnance disposal from Afghanistan to the Ukraine

As one of very few efforts to clear war-torn areas from landmines and other explosives, the HALO Trust’s work is vital for affected communities in bringing about an environment that allows social and economic activities to return to normal as well Read More …

Mines turn farms into killing fields in Iraq

One man lost his uncle. Another is mourning for two sons. Farmers and herders in Iraq’s Baiji say mines left by Daesh turned their beloved orchards into killing fields. The improvised explosive devices, planted by militants trying to fend off Read More …

US government to provide $425K for war-era cluster bomb clearance

The US government will provide an extra $425,000 to the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) for it to clear the remnants of cluster bombs dropped on eastern Cambodia 40 years ago and carry out research. CMAC director-general Heng Ratana said Read More …

Sri Lanka: Germany grants 4m Euros for mine clearance

The German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) provides 4 million Euros (approx. LKR 800m) for demining in affected areas of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The GFFO made this decision in light of Sri Lanka’s accession to the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Read More …

5 years after IS atrocities, young Yazidis team up to clear explosive hazards in northern Iraq

After five years of massive atrocities committed against the Yazidi minority by Islamic State (IS) militants in Sinjar region, explosive remnants from the anti-IS war still pose a threat to civilians’ lives in the region. Through a project by the Read More …

Demining works underway in Armenia’s Syunik Province

The Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise SNCO is performing demining works in the Davit Bek settlement of Kapan community and in the Kornidzor settlement of Tegh community of the Syunik Province. Based on the Center’s press release, the demining Read More …

Landmine clearance to start at Royal Welsh Show (don’t worry, they’re not real)

Visitors at this week’s Royal Welsh Show are being invited to don protective body armour and hunt for explosive-free landmines. A dummy minefield is being created at the showground to highlight the humanitarian work of the HALO Trust. Mine clearance enables communities Read More …

Việt Nam needs long-term risk management to deal with remnants of war

Việt Nam needs a transition from a reactive approach on clearing cluster and explosive remnants of war (ERW) to a proactive risk management strategy to better eliminate threats long-term, experts have said. Speaking at a conference on long-term risk management on Read More …

The UN Operation to Disarm Mosul’s IEDs and Unexploded Bombs

Two years this month this month, a US-led military coalition declared victory against ISIS in Mosul, liberating one of Iraq’s largest cities after three years of occupation by the radical Islamist group. While the eastern part of the city is on Read More …

China donates mine-clearance equipment, vehicles to Cambodia

China donated mine-clearance equipment, vans, and motorcycles to the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA) on Monday. The donation included mine detectors, demining personal protective equipment outfits and helmets, exploding initiators, vans, and motorcycles, among others. Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Read More …

Angola pledges $60m to fund landmine clearance in national parks

The Angolan government has pledged $60 million to clear landmines in two national parks that form part of southern Africa’s highly biodiverse Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. The country’s environment minister, Paula Coelho, made the announcement June 17 at a conference Read More …

Canine hero visits Capitol Hill amid ‘global landmine crisis’

Spotted roaming the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday was a six-year veteran of one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Yankee, a land mine-detecting German shepherd, along with her handler, Perry Baltimore, a retired Army general, joined Yemen’s Read More …

Support from the Government of Germany Proves Crucial in Continuing UNMAS Life-Saving Activities in Iraq

With a total contribution of EUR 51.2 million (USD 58 million) to date, the Government of Germany is the largest contributor to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq and supports explosive hazard management and capacity enhancement initiatives Read More …