Zimbabwe without landmines: a crucial step towards development

Lying dormant until triggered by a victim and intended to incapacitate, landmines maim civilians and render vast tracks of land unusable. Mines and unexploded ordnance leave a terrible legacy of war, long after the guns have fallen silent. Hidden from Read More …

‘Complete the work’, rid the world of deadly landmines, UN chief urges

The United Nations Secretary-General has called on the international community to recommit to the target of a mine-free world, urging efforts to “make this the last decade when we need to devote ourselves to this task”. In a message commemorating Read More …

UNMAS Annual Report 2020 is out

Message From The Secretary-General The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is an efficient and effective undertaking that coordinates the United Nations response to explosive ordnance, and deploys teams to survey, clear and dispose of these deadly devices. In any Read More …

Switzerland to send demining experts to Sudan

The unarmed experts will support the planning and carrying out of demining operations as part of an international peace mission, according to the defence ministry. Peace and stability in the African country is also in the interest of Switzerland, the Read More …

China: PLA commissions new-type robot for bomb disposal

A new robot type has entered service, as it demonstrated its capacity in a recent bomb disposal exercise by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The commissioning of such a device is an example of the PLA’s modernization as machines Read More …

Afghanistan’s First Female Deminers Report!

For the first time in the thirty years of mine action in Afghanistan, as part of an initiative of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), in June 2018 a mixed-gender demining team was deployed by the Danish Demining Group Read More …

Canada’s stabilization projects in Iraq and Syria

On March 30, 2021, the Government of Canada announced more than $43.6 million in funding for 11 stabilization projects in Iraq and Syria. These projects, funded through the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program, are aligned with the Global Coalition against Read More …

First woman in the Central African Republic to destroy explosive ordnance

In 2019, UNMAS recruited Asnath Konaté as Weapons and Ammunitions Management (WAM) Assistant in the Central African Republic. Before joining UNMAS, Asnath didn’t have any experience in WAM. However, after completing a series of rigorous training courses, including three levels Read More …

Cambodia: 4,000 UXOs found buried in pagoda in Battambang province

Police together with Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) removed 4,000 anti-aircraft shells which were found buried inside a Buddhist pagoda in Battambang province on Tuesday. The discovery was made when a group of monks who stayed at Wat Kors Kralor Read More …

Memorandum signed to boost UXO risk education in Vietnam

The Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Vietnam on March 23 inked a memorandum of understanding on enhancing explosive ordnance risk education. At the signing ceremony in Hanoi, Major General Tran Trung Hoa, Commander Read More …

ANAMA and UNDP join forces to support mine action in Azerbaijan

With USD 1 million from UNDP crisis response and UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, UNDP will provide support to ANAMA to train, equip and deploy emergency response teams to clear mines and unexploded ordnances which pose grave risks to local Read More …

Libya: JMC & GNU meet in Sirte to discuss mine clearance and opening the main coastal road

Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) held a meeting in Sirte to discuss ongoing efforts to clear mines and war remnants from the coastal road linking the city to Misrata to officially reopen the road for travel and safe use Read More …

South Korea commits US$10mil to Cambodia for mine clearance

South Korea on Tuesday committed US$10 million to increase Cambodia’s mine clearance and victim assistance efforts from 2021 to 2025, according to a joint press statement. The project is implemented by the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) Read More …

Sri Lanka: US backs mine clearing operations

US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Martin Kelly visited a Mines Advisory Group (MAG) demining site, earlier this week to observe the measures undertaken to clear explosive hazards in the area and speak with a team of female deminers. Read More …

10 years of conflict: ‘It will take at least two generations to rebuild Syria’

15th March 2021 marks 10 years since the start of the conflict in Syria, and the humanitarian crisis is only getting worse. Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is working in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt with Syrians who have lost everything Read More …

France provides additional USD 617,000 for UNMAS activities in Iraq

Baghdad, 04 March 2021 – The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq welcomes an additional contribution of EUR 505,000 (approximately USD 617,000) from the Government of France renewing its commitment in supporting the Government of Iraq to protect Read More …

Cambodia sees significant drop in landmine, munition casualties in last 24 years: PM

Cambodia had seen a remarkable drop in the number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in the last 24 years, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said. In a message to mark the National Mine Awareness Read More …

Cambodia: CMAC plans to breed more than 100 detection dogs in 2021

The Cambodian Mine Action Centre’s (CMAC) National Dog Centre programme plans to breed more than 100 detection dogs in different skills, from explosive detection, environmental protection, security, patrolling and wild animal protection this year. The National Dog Centre programme said Read More …

Russian mine action specialists clear over 15,400 explosive objects in Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian mine action specialists have surveyed an area of more than 250 hectares in Nagorno-Karabakh to spot and clear explosive objects, the press service of the Russian emergencies ministry told TASS on Thursday. “Over the period of their mission in Read More …