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To Walk The Earth In Safety 5th Edition (Fy2003), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

This fifth edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety contains information on specific programs and accomplishments of the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program through the end of 2003. Although the United States did begin providing substantial mine action assistance to Afghanistan as early as 1988 and then to Cambodia and some other countries starting in 1991, the formal program as we know it today really began in 1993. Thus, 2003 is a milestone, marking ten uninterrupted years of genuine and signifi cant U.S. action to eradicate persistent landmines—both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle—as well as unexploded ordnance wherever they threaten civilian …

Tampering: Deliberate Handling And Use Of Live Ordnance In Cambodia, Richard Moyes

Global CWD Repository

This report was commissioned to examine the prominence, within casualty data in Cambodia, of accidents resulting from deliberate interaction with ordnance. The project was designed to analyse a persistent pattern of deaths and injuries that was visible within the casualty surveillance data being published on an annual basis in Cambodia. The purpose of this project was to identify and analyse the nature and prevalence of the ordnance handling behaviours that lie behind the casualty data. The project adopted what would broadly be considered a health research approach. The study provides an indication of the prevalence and incidence of deliberate handling …

Landmines In Eritrea: The Socio-Economic Impact, Prioritisation And Integration On The Basis Of Community Visits, Natraj Ramkrishna, Evgenios C. Evgeniou

Global CWD Repository

The PricewaterhouseCoopers Ulysses leadership program led to this study. It discusses the socio-economic impact of landmines, the benefits of mine action, the prioritisation and integration of mine action within national development priorities. It was carried out so as to understand how landmine contamination has affected the lives of people living in the landmine impacted communities of Eritrea, and focuses purely on an economic cost-benefit analysis.

Ddasaccident459, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators found that the main cause of the accident was “wanton violation of technical and safety procedures proscribed in the SOPs of the organisation and in the National Standards of B&H”. For this reason the primary cause of the accident is listed as a “Management control inadequacy”. So many basic safety rules were being breached at a site where there was known to be a fragmentation mine threat that the conditions must have been known to senior management. The secondary cause is listed as a “Field control inadequacy” because the field managers allowed safety distances and PPE rules to …

Ddasaccident417, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The BOI could not establish conclusively why the accident took place, as no eyewitnesses saw the incident at the time of the explosion. However, it was obvious that the deminer had his visor up at the time of the explosion. Damage and blast marks to the inside of the visor could only have accrued if the visor was up at the time of the explosion. The deminer insisted that the visor was down at the time of the explosion but could give no explanation for why the accident had taken place. It is the opinion of the BOI that the …

Ddasaccident536, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Antipersonnel Mine model P4 mark 1 exploded during mine-clearance in minefield LK-257, Katkovalam. Explosion took place 1,5 meters in front of [Demining group] deminer while he was raking the uncleared lane with heavy rake. Deminer fell backwards to his bottom and lost his hearing and vision for few minutes. His visor (head protection) was hit by little stones and fell off. Fragmentation vest (body protection) took some punches too. After 15 minutes he recovered to mentally and physically normal state. He did not have any wounds, bruises nor pain anywhere in medic’s full body inspection. Nevertheless, he was evacuated against …

Ddasaccident442, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The lane followed a P4 AP blast mine strip where [the Victim] had found three mines the previous day. On the morning of the accident [the Victim] had worked one half hour shift from 07.30 hrs to 08.00hrs before having breakfast from 08.00 hrs to 08.30 hrs. [The Victim] then started his second half hour shift at 08.30hrs, with his half section BD3. The accident took place at 08.40hrs, ten minutes into [the Victim]’s second half hour shift. At the time of the accident [the Victim] was using a heavy rake on the first phase of the three phase raking …

Mine Risk Education Project Of Unicef: A Formative Evaluation, Unicef

Global CWD Repository

Two decades of war in Sri Lanka have given rise to the problem of landmines and unexploded ordnances threatening the lives of civilians in the Northeast.

The United Nations and government of Sri Lanka initiated a mine action programme, which includes a Mine Risk Education Programme. Supported by UNICEF, it has been implemented since 1997 in the Jaffna District and Vanni region in close co-ordination with UNDP. Today, MRE has reached a professional standard, using tried and tested tools to promote mine-safe behaviour.

This formative evaluation study assesses the effect of MRE on the beneficiary communities. Field research was carried …

Ddasaccident413, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

I am the section leader of Team 07 – 2 Southern Group at 10.15 while we all were at rest area on rest suddenly heard an explosion and saw smoke coming from close to bund. At once I went to the site of the explosion of the spot and I found the water tanker was on uncleared area and with no damage or injury. So I instructed to driver reverse the vehicle using the same track. Driver followed me.

Ddasaccident580, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

[The Victim] left [Demining NGO] Camp to personally respond to the information provided by the two children regarding two No 4 anti-personnel landmines on the Umm Serdiba mountain. This was a known minefield and adjacent to a second known mountain also containing landmines in Umm Serdiba. [The Victim] attempted to neutralize two landmines instead of marking and reporting the mines in accordance with established procedures.

Ddasaccident412, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The deminer was working in his clearance lane using a heavy rake to excavate the ground. The ground was very hard and use of the light rake was limited. At approximately 08:55hrs an explosion occurred under the rake.”

The Role Of Military Technical Advisors, Rohan Maxwell

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 1989 a multinational contingent of soldiers began to arrive in Pakistan to support a humanitarian mine action program for Afghan refugees. They were, in effect, Technical Advisors (TAs) in the field of humanitarian mine action, and in the years since, military TAs have participated in many other programs. This has not been without its controversial aspects.

A Profile Of Afghanistan, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Afghanistan is a dry, landlocked nation made up mostly of rugged mountains that run northeast to southwest and divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country. Bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, it also shares a tiny strip of land with China. Because of its cold winters and hot summers, nearly all of Afghanistan’s supply of natural fresh water begins as snow. This limited supply, however, has been severely depleted because of a four year drought from 1998–2002. Drought and the added thirst of two million returning refugees has left nearly 80 percent of Afghanistan’s population …

Humanitarian Vs. Military Mine Action, Nicole Kreger

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and commercial companies are well-known in the mine action community for conducting demining operations all over the world. But there is another breed of deminer that is becoming more and more common—the military. Militaries often have different objectives, tactics, opinions and experiences from professional mine action practitioners, which is frequently reflected in the way they conduct clearance operations. Can two groups so different find some common ground and work towards a world in which they not only coexist, but actually work in tandem to assist one another in carrying out demining?

Operation Enduring Freedom: The Role Of Polish Engineers In Afghanistan, Boguslaw Bebenek, Hanna Madziar, Wojciech Chyla

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Polish Military Contingent, located at Bagram Base, 65 km from Kabul, has been contributing to peacekeeping missions withinOperation Enduring Freedom since March 2002. In addition to the platoon's main responsibilities of engineering reconnaissance and mine clearance, the platoon is also responsible for building fortification structures, developing base infrastructure, loading and transporting constructing materials, and conducting different kinds of ground works, mainly in the surrounding area of the base.

On The Ground In Iraq, Jo Foster

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

MineTech International (MTI) has been stationed in southern Iraq since May 2003, working on humanitarian mine and ammunition clearing projects and as part of its brief, working to deliver rapid response demining support for the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS).

The Role Of The Military In Mine Action, Ian Mansfield, Eric Filippino

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article is drawn from a study conducted by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) entitled A Study of the Role of the Military in Mine Action, published in September 2003. The study was commissioned by the United Nations, and sought to address issues such as the suitability, appropriateness and capability of the military to undertake mine action. The findings show that while using military actors in mine action is not always appropriate, militaries can play a positive role.

The Military In Mine Action: An Interview With Ltc Bob Crowley, U.S. Southcom, Nicole Kreger

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Military in Mine Action: An Interview With LTC Bob Crowley, U.S. SOUTHCOM

The Israeli Defense Force's Humanitarian Demining Efforts, Ahron Etengoff, Gerald Steinberg, Jennette Townsend

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) Engineering Corps is the mine action center of Israel. Currently, IDF is engaged in various activities in response to the Palestinian terror campaign and does not have the resources to participate in international demining programs. However, the Israeli government views the issue of international cooperation in the areas of mine clearance, mine awareness and mine victim rehabilitation to be of major importance, despite the difficult budgetary situation. In addition, IDF continues to prioritize mine action internally.

The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 8.1 (2004), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Role of the Military in Mine Action

Mine Injury Casualties Report From The Iraq-Kuwait Dmz, B.M. Schneider, V. Ehmann, M. Gebler, M. Pohlers, J. Bronnert, M. Schneider, V. Bartke, H. Woltering, B. Domres

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After the implementation of the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) at the end of the first Gulf War in 1990, a medical team was set up in 1991 to support the UN troops in their difficult tasks in the demilitarised zone (DMZ), a remote desert area between Kuwait and Iraq. The medical team was designed to take care of the medical treatment for the UNIKOM members and the nomadic people living in the DMZ as pointed out in UN Secretary-General reports S/2001/287 and S/2001/913 on the official UN website.

The Use Of Belgian Military Experts In Eod, Vincent Muylkens

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For many years, a large debate over the use of military experts in humanitarian demining has existed. Some individuals are against military demining arguing the military performs different techniques and holds different priorities from humanitarian demining. Others are favourable toward military demining, as they are the majority of demining centres. The Belgian military has been active in demining since World War I (WWI). Still today, explosive remnants from WWI and World War II (WWII) remain a daily concern in the life of Belgians. The minefields have been cleared for many years, yet every day military experts still dispose of UXO …

The Sdok Kok Thom Integrated Demining Project, Paddy Blagden

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Sdok Kok Thom Project in Thailand was an ideal project in order for the Japan Alliance for Humanitarian Demining Support (JAHDS) to create a mine clearance capability. The project site was compact, easily accessible and the vegetation varied from sparse to very dense, which made it possible to create a progressive training scheme of increasing complexity. This allowed the mine clearers to progress in steps towards the most difficult and challenging stages. One of the main points of the project was to incorporate a high degree of integrated demining, i.e., demining using the three major tools in the mine …

Itep/Jmu Database Of International Experiences: Supporting The Test And Evaluation Community, Franciska Borry, Dieter Guelle

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A new database has been added to the James Madison University (JMU) Lessons Learned database, with more specific content and aim. The specific content reflects the main tasks that the International Test and Evaluation Program (ITEP) for humanitarian demining has agreed on in its Memorandum of Understanding, namely to evaluate and standardise the process of equipment testing in the humanitarian demining industry. The JMU Mine Action Information Centre (MAIC) maintains the database, whereas the ITEP Secretariat is responsible for its content.

Mine Spike: A Landmine Neutralisation Tool For Combat Scenarios, Brett Lowery

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmine clearance operations can be broadly categorised into two roles: military and humanitarian demining. Military operations often require a fast passage through minefields to maintain the tempo of advance. This is known as "breaching" and it involves either rapidly clearing mines from an intended route (for example by a mineplough) or marking the mines so they can be avoided. Other military scenarios may require the clearance of mines and UXO before setting up a military outpost. Once the main conflict and initial military clean-up has ended, humanitarian demining agencies move in to clear the area of mines and UXO, making …

Afghan Technical Consultants: A Brief Overview, Kefayatullah Eblagh

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC) was established in 1989 as the first humanitarian mine clearance organization sponsored by the United Nations. Through February 2004, ATC had cleared 82.4 sq km of high-priority mined areas and 192.7 sq km of former battlefields. During its 14 years of operations, ATC has located and destroyed a total of 3,437 anti-vehicle mines, 143,392 anti-personnel mines and 1,611,676 pieces of UXO. ATC currently employs nearly 2,000 personnel working in every region of Afghanistan.

After The Taliban: Opportunities And Challenges In Mine Action In Afghanistan, 2002–2003, Patrick Fruchet

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article has been removed.

Serving Mine Action With Technology, Pehr Lodhammar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Swedish Rescue Services Agency (SRSA) is a Swedish governmental organization. It maintains a high level of emergency preparedness so that, with short notice, it can assist during international relief operations with specialist personnel and equipment. SRSA involvement in international mine action mainly supports Mine Action Coordination Centers (MACCs) through the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), where SRSA personnel hold positions within the MACC. SRSA has been contributing to research and development of new mine detection and clearance technology by concentrating on two specific projects: BIOSENS and DEMAND.

Humanitarian Demining Efforts In The Occupied Palestinian Territories, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In an August 2002 assessment of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that the following areas in the OPT are not properly fenced, marked or cleared:

• Minefields from the 1967 Middle East war—unmarked minefields were reportedly found between Jordan and the West Bank, in the Jordan Valley and in other strategic areas in the West Bank.
• Israeli military training zones.
• Areas of confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians.

Though no minefields have been officially declared in the Gaza Strip, Ayid Abu Qtaish, mine awareness coordinator of Defence for Children International (DCI), Palestine Section, has no …

Humanitarian Demining Within The American Continent: A Silent And Successful Reality, Colonel Mellado

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The objective of the Millennium Development plan of the United Nations is to "eradicate extreme poverty and hunger [and] guarantee the sustainability of the environment." Through the selfless efforts of the humanitarian demining programs in Central and South America by the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), the preceding objectives are being accomplished. Thus, I am overwhelming compelled to share the successes and sing the praises of the personal sacrifices taken on by demining personnel.