Austria’s Kneissl Thanks Lavrov For Supporting Vienna’s Mine Clearance Initiative In Syria

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl expressed gratitude on Tuesday to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for supporting Vienna‘s initiative on humanitarian mine clearance in Syria, which is aimed at helping create conditions for the return of refugees and displaced people. Last November, Kneissl announced that Austria and Slovenia launched a joint Read More …

Mosul’s ‘3D contamination’ adds to challenges of deadly mine clearance work

Government-led military campaigns and conflict to retake Iraq’s cities from the extremists, also known as Da’esh, displaced more than 5.8 million people between 2014 and 2017. Many are still homeless or unable to return home because of what UNMAS calls Read More …

Rising landmine blast toll in Afghanistan highlights long-term care needs of survivors

Latest data from UNMAS, the UN Mine Action Service, shows that 1,415 Afghan civilians were killed or injured by mines and so-called explosive remnants of war (ERW) in 2018. Children make up eight in 10 of ERW casualties, according to Read More …

There’s only one way to tackle Ukraine’s infestation of mines … slowly

“I am not afraid,” says 80 year-old Lidiya Korolyova as she walks across a snow-covered field to check on a suspicious object. It might be a landmine, lying in wait among the trees not far from her village of Ozerne Read More …

Lebanon’s BRIC applies tech solutions to clearing landmines

The Israeli No 4 landmine has a peculiar design – approach it the right way, and it can be easily neutralized and destroyed. Approach it the wrong way, and things could go terribly wrong, very quickly. A de-miner is on Read More …

Britain grants funding for UXO clearance in Laos

Mines Advisory Group (MAG) Laos has been granted more than 38 billion kip (4.5 million U.S. dollars) in funding from the British government for its unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance operations in Laos. With the grant, MAG will conduct UXO clearance Read More …

Mali: ‘Dire’ humanitarian situation, ‘grave’ security concerns challenge fragile peace

Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations in Africa, also apprised the Council of the alarming security situation in the central and northern areas of the African State, saying it was “of grave concern,” and provided “a major challenge” to Read More …

Yemen: Land mines take heavy toll on civilians

Thousands of land mines and improvised explosive devices are killing and maiming civilians in southwestern Yemen, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today, calling on the Yemeni authorities and specialized demining organizations to clear Read More …

Ukrainian parliament adopts legal framework for mine action, with OSCE advice provided

Ukraine’s Mine Action Law was adopted by the parliament on 6 December 2018, after consultations with the Project Co-ordinator, who provided advice on the content. It establishes a framework for humanitarian demining, divides responsibilities among state institutions, and envisages the Read More …

Sri Lanka to be declared as a mine-free country by 2020

Sri Lanka acceded to the Mine Ban Convention, very well known as the Ottawa Convention, in 2017 which came into force from 1 June. The objective of the Mine Ban Convention is to end the suffering and casualties caused by Read More …

CMAC cleared over 30,000 land mines in first 10 months

The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) cleared more than 30,000 land mines from 75sq km in the first 10 months of this year, the organisation’s director-general said on Monday. Heng Ratana, speaking at a CMAC meeting, said the organisation aims Read More …

Myanmar: Civilians bear brunt of landmine explosions in Shan State

Civilians in northern Shan State are bearing the brunt of clashes that have been going on since 2011 between the military and armed ethnic groups, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Landmines and other explosives have killed or injured civilians. During Read More …

UNMAS supports UK DFID delegation visit to Mosul

The presence of explosive hazards, including improvised explosive devices in areas liberated from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), will continue to impede security and stability efforts as well as development initiatives until these are cleared and Read More …