UN Calls for Urgent Action as Afghanistan’s Land is Heavily Contaminated by Explosives

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed deep concern over the contamination of two-thirds of Afghanistan’s land by explosive materials, reporting that an average of 15 civilians lose their lives each month due to Read More …

Syria: International donors continue to support recovery efforts with emphasis on mine clearance

Head of the donor countries delegation and Director for Humanitarian Affairs at the German Foreign Ministry, Ina HEUSGEN, said Thursday that international donors continue to support Syria’s recovery efforts and infrastructure rehabilitation, with particular emphasis on mine clearance, humanitarian assistance Read More …

Hantavirus-hit ship evacuation completed as quarantines begin

The repatriation effort, coordinated by Spanish authorities with support from WHO, the European Union, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and multiple governments, marked the end of an emergency operation that has gripped global health attention for weeks Read More …

Nepal: Two decades since peace accord, wartime IEDs still haunt villagers

Nearly two decades after the peace accord formally ended a protracted Maoist insurgency (1996-2006), explosives planted during the conflict are still being discovered in settlements, school compounds and farmlands across the country. According to security agencies, many explosives planted or Read More …

UNODC supports Togo to raise awareness on the risks of the use of IEDs components and SALW for terrorist purposes

Over the past decade, West Africa has experienced an unprecedented escalation of terrorist threats, particularly in fragile border areas where terrorist groups exploit socio-economic vulnerabilities and porous borders. In northern Togo, several incursions and armed attacks have been attributed to Read More …

UN: Global demining work strained by rising conflicts and shrinking aid

Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said this week. “They’re telling me, ‘Never in my Read More …

Nigeria, Türkiye agree on military training facility to boost defence cooperation

Nigeria and Türkiye have reached an agreement to establish a major military training facility in Nigeria as part of a broader defence partnership aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture and enhancing military capacity. Under the arrangement, Nigerian military personnel Read More …

UN peacekeeper killed, three wounded while clearing explosive ordnance in south Lebanon

A United Nations peacekeeper was killed and ​three others wounded after a UNIFIL patrol ‌came under small-arms fire while clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the southern Lebanese village of ​Ghandouriyeh, the peacekeeping mission said on Saturday. Two ​of Read More …

Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action

The world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April, reaffirming the essential role mine action plays in securing peace, enabling recovery, and driving sustainable development. This year’s global theme, “Invest in Peace, Read More …

UN condemns killing of two more peacekeepers in Lebanon

The United Nations has condemned two consecutive days of deadly attacks on peacekeepers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), amid rising hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants. Two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed on Monday, and two Read More …

UN: Sea mines clearance, a new dimension of difficulty

It is still not clear whether mines, which can sink vessels of all types if activated, have been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, as part of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Most shipping has not been able Read More …

UN mine action chiefs for Ethiopia and Sudan call for more funding

The heads of United Nations landmine action programmes in Ethiopia and Sudan have called for more funding and awareness of contamination by munitions. Both say mines kill and maim a disproportionate number of children, adding that people cannot return to Read More …

Nigeria: NPF, UNMAS train personnel on counter-IEDs in Northeast

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), in collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), has trained its personnel on the counter-Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Northeast. According to the Borno State Police Command, the seven-month training commenced from Read More …

UNODC facilitates regional exchange on strengthening cross-border coordination in countering use of IEDs and drones in the Sahel

Terrorist violence continues to pose a serious threat to stability and security across West Africa, with the Sahel region remaining the epicentre of global terrorism-related deaths. In recent years, terrorist groups, particularly those affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq Read More …

Kenya: Capacity consultations to strengthen Eastern Africa’s response to terrorist use of IEDs

The Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Use of Weaponsof the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) co-organized a capacity consultations workshop with the National Counter Terrorism Centre of Kenya (NCTC) from 28 to 29 January 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya. Hosted Read More …

Afghanistan: The hidden explosive threat

In Afghanistan, the guns have fallen silent, but the war remains buried beneath the soil in the form of deadly explosive items, including landmines and unexploded remnants of war. The European Union supports mine clearance efforts so communities can safely Read More …

UNSC members say IS-K in Afghanistan remains serious threat to region, beyond

Members of the UN Security Council warned on Tuesday that Islamic State’s Khorasan affiliate (IS-K) in Afghanistan continues to pose a serious threat to regional and international security, despite a reported decline in attacks. The council met under the agenda Read More …

UN reviews mine clearance efforts in Libya

The United Nations has reviewed progress and challenges in mine clearance operations across Libya, highlighting significant gains but warning of funding and capacity constraints. The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), operating under the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), said Read More …

Lebanon: UNIFIL-supported campaign launched to reduce risk of explosives

UNIFIL launched last week an explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) campaign targeting potentially vulnerable groups, including children and displaced people, in the mission’s area of operation. Working in coordination with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Lebanese Mine Action Read More …

Libya: Ministry of Defense in the Government of National Unity discusses joint cooperation with the United Nations Mine Action Service

A consultative meeting was held this Tuesday. It took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense of the Government of National Unity. The Ministry’s Office of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law participated. The United Nations Mine Action Read More …