Mali: Second UN peacekeeper dies following attack in northern Timbuktu region

A second U.N. peacekeeper has died from injuries sustained during an attack in Mali’s northern Timbuktu region, an area where extremists continue to operate, the United Nations announced Monday. The attack Friday on a security patrol that was hit first Read More …

Ukraine expects to involve UNDP in demining

This was discussed during a meeting between First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko and UNDP Mine Action Coordinator in Ukraine Paul Heslop, the press service of the Ministry of Economy reports, according to Ukrinform. It is Read More …

UNODC: Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia – Latest developments and challenges

East and Southeast Asia’s drug market has been marked by a decade of growth in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine – a trend that continues. The region has also experienced an expansion in the production and Read More …

Yemen: Explosive Devices Cause 121 Casualties in Q1

There are millions of landmines and unexploded ordnance scattered across the country, and these weapons will continue to kill and maim civilians for years to come. On Saturday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) informed Read More …

Trafficking in the Sahel: Guns, gas, and gold

In the first of a series of features exploring the fight against trafficking in the Sahel, UN News takes a closer look at what’s behind the growth of the phenomenon. A tangled trafficking web has been woven across the Sahel, Read More …

UN: IED attacks continue to take their toll on civilians in Mali

Attacks involving Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) continue to take their toll on civilians in Mali. In the first quarter of 2023, the country recorded 39 incidents resulting in over 30 deaths and 86 injuries. On April 9, six passengers, one Read More …

Mali: Two Peacekeepers injured in mine explosion in Mopti

The UN mission in Mali said on social networks that two peacekeepers were wounded by a mine explosion in central Mali. “Our office in Mopti confirms an explosion near the village of Amba, 75 km west of Douentza, injuring two Read More …

Nigeria: 755 Died, 1,321 Injured By IEDs in North East – UN

United Nations Mine Action Services (UNMAS) in collaboration with Centre for Social Cohesion Peace and Empowerment (CENSCOPE) has urged the federal government to expedite action to establish the Centre for Mine Action to enable the body to coordinate its activities Read More …

On international day for mine awareness, UN reaffirms commitment to a mine-free Somalia

Mogadishu – Marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, the United Nations today reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts to rid Somalia of the threat from explosive ordnance. “Whether measured in the number of casualties Read More …

UN report reveals 47 mine-contaminated areas in Cyprus

According to data from UNFICYP, 47 suspected hazardous areas in Cyprus could be contaminated with mines and/or explosive remnants of war (ERW), covering roughly 1.7 million square meters of land. A factsheet from UNFICYP, updated in October 2018, shows that Read More …

The deadly legacy of landmines

More than two decades since the adoption of the landmark Mine Ban Treaty and the creation of the UN Mine Action Service, millions of landmines have been destroyed, but land in nearly 70 countries globally is still contaminated and innocent Read More …

Secretary-General, in Message for Mine Action Day, Urges Member States to Ratify, Fully Implement Conventions Banning Explosive Ordnance, Cluster Munitions

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, observed on 4 April: For the millions living amidst the chaos of armed conflicts — especially women and children — every Read More …

Sri Lanka: UN pre-deployment team scheduled to inspect troops for deployment in Mali

A high-level UN Assessment and Advisory Team are scheduled to inspect self-sustenance equipment, combat vehicles and accessories, de-mining devices, Explosive Ordnance Devices, logistic and medical equipment, military hardware and witness mock demonstrations during their visits (March 20-25) to the 1 Read More …

UN report: Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran

Inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog found uranium particles enriched up to 83.7% in Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear site, a report seen Tuesday by The Associated Press said. The confidential quarterly report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency Read More …

Afghanistan’s demining program needs $18.3 million – OCHA

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Afghanistan has one of the highest levels of explosive ordnance contamination globally. The statement tweeted on Monday saying that in 2023, some $18.3 million is needed for Read More …

Cambodia deploys 98 deminers to Central African Republic

Cambodian deminers departed Phnom Penh on Tuesday to the Central African Republic to as part of the UN peacekeeping force. They will be part of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Read more… Read More …

Mali: Three UN peacekeepers die in a roadside bomb explosion

Three United Nations peacekeepers were killed and five others seriously injured on Tuesday when their convoy struck a roadside bomb in central Mali, the UN mission said. “A MINUSMA Force convoy hit an Improvised Explosive Device IED today,” it said Read More …

Japan contributes to UN Mine Action Service for humanitarian mine action and peacebuilding in Sudan

The Government of Japan has contributed USD 980,000 to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), a component of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), to advance Sudan’s peacebuilding efforts through humanitarian mine action. Aiming to Read More …

Chinese peacekeepers safeguard peace with practical actions

Leaving Beirut, capital of Lebanon, all along the coastal highway southward and passing through bustling towns, you can see more checkpoints and armored vehicles of the United Nations peacekeeping force on road. In the south Lebanese city of Tyre about Read More …

UN reports tense situation in eastern DR Congo after rebel attacks, deadly blast

Attacks by the M23 Movement rebels and an explosion wounding 18 civilians leave a tense situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a UN spokesman said on Thursday. One clash was in the southeast of Kitchanga, in Read More …