The Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA), as the focal point for mine-related activities within the United Nations system, is faced with a formidable challenge. DHA is determined to accelerate existing mine clearance activities, establish new programmes in countries that require assistance, and to redouble efforts to develop and standardize the United Nations approach aimed at establishing sustainable national capacities for mine clearance. With donor support, the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance and the United Nations Demining Standby Capacity will be developed into effective instruments for providing quick resources in support of land mine related activities.
There are an estimated 10 million mines strewn throughout Afghanistan, a vast majority scattered at random with no records indicating their precise location. The United Nations estimates that over 150 of Afghanistan's districts are affected by mines, posing special challenges for the repatriation of refugees.
Having started its activities in 1989, the Mine Clearance Programme within the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance Coordination (UNOCHA) is the longest running United Nations-supported demining programme. There are four main components to the programme: clearance, clearance training, minefield surveying and mine-awareness education. The programme is implemented by 2,925 workers employed by six Afghan NGOs, one international NGO and a relief agency from Iran. Through the end of 1994, a total of 109,754 mines were cleared, 215,764 unexploded ordinance devices were destroyed and about 2.5 million people received mine-awareness briefings.
The mine clearance programme in Angola is being developed by the UN's Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) in response to the civil war that extended over 2 decades. During this protracted war, approximately 5-10 million land mines were laid. To counter this crisis, the UN has established a training school to teach local Angolans proper demining techniques.
It is estimated that three million land mines have been laid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly along past confrontation lines. Upon the termination of the UN peace-keeping mandate, the UN provided for the establishment of a national Mine Action Centre (MAC) in Sarajevo to serve as a clearing house for mine-hazard information, coordinate mine clearance and mine-awareness education, monitor the operations of all demining organizations active in the country and train indigenous staff to conduct these activities. Essentially, the national MAC will function as the nucleus of a national mine clearance programme.
Already with the world's highest proportion of mine amputees, Cambodia has an estimated six to ten million land mines still lurking beneath the soil. This dangerous legacy continues to claim more than 300 victims per month.
In mid-1992 the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) was created and operated under the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) to implement and coordinate demining efforts in Cambodia. Subsequent to the dissolution of the peace-keeping mandate in September 1993, CMAC continued its activities as a full-fledged Cambodian institution, running activities which include an extensive public awareness programme utilizing mass media, mine marking, mine clearance, and mine clearance training.
So far, CMAC teams have cleared close to 8.5 million square meters, removing 21,170 anti-personnel mines, 132 anti-tank mines and more than 132,000 unexploded ordnance devices. Mine marking and survey teams have identified over 44 million square meters of minefields throughout the country.
An estimated three million mines have been planted in Croatia. The UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) engaged in limited demining activities in order to provide access for humanitarian convoys. A Mine Action Centre (MAC) was established to collect, collate and disseminate minefield information and to provide mine awareness training to international personnel in the mission area.
The UN's DHA and Department of Peace-Keeping Operations (DPKO) provided for the continuation of the MAC to function as the focal point of mine-related activities in Croatia and provide specialized advice to the Government on the establishment of a comprehensive mine clearance programme.
DHA has implemented an Accelerated Demining Programme (ADP) to develop an indigenous mine clearance operation of 500 persons in Mozambique. The programme aimed to train deminers, field staff and middle management to eventually take the responsibility for mine clearance operations in Mozambique as a fully indigenous Mozambican entity. The programme has developed and now consists of ten mine clearance groups and a management headquarters undertaking mine clearance operations in the Southern Provinces (Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane).
Discussions are underway with the Government on developing the programme into a national NGO while retaining the transparency, accountability and operational efficiency to attract the necessary donor funding required to sustain it.
In 1995, at the request of the Government of Yemen, the UN carried out an assessment mission, which resulted in the creation of a programme to provide advice to the Government on the clearance of an estimated 30,000 mines. The programme maintains a database for the collection and collation of minefield data, advises the Yemen authorities on safe and reliable demining methods and provides training on specialized demining equipment.