For every child Health, Education, Equality, Protection ADVANCE HUMANITY

1
What is being done by the Mine Action Group in
Nepal??
2
Who's Involved in the Mine Action Group???

• Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN)
• Digital Broadcasting Initiative (Equal Access)
• Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS)
• IHRICON
• INSEC
• Partnership Nepal
• Porters Progress
• Him Rights
• RRN
• Sahara Group
• Children as Zones of Peace
• Nepal Campaign to Ban Landmines

• ICRC (observer)
• UNICEF (in collaboration with UNMIN)
• UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
  Affairs (OCHA)
• UMN
• Save the Children Norway
• Save the Children US
• World Education
• Handicap International

3
Mine Action
So what IS Mine Action???
C o o r d i n a t i o n
Risk Education
Victim Assistance
Advocacy
Stockpile Destruction
Clearance
Data (surveillance, surveys)
4
Is it important in Nepal???
YES!!!
5
Civilian Casualties from Victim-Activated
Explosions in Nepal
(2004, 2005 2006) Total 415 Casualties 236
children (57)
HUMLA
1
6
DARCHULA
1
BAJHANG
2
MUGU
BAITADI
BAJURA
7
3
2
1
DADEL-
9
6
JUMLA
DHURA
DOTI
KALIKOT
DOLPA
ACHHAM
8
MUSTANG
KANCHAN-
PUR
DAILEKH
JAJARKOT
11
7
8
KAILALI
11
RUKUM
MANANG
32
2
SURKHET
6
1
12
1
MYAGDI
SALYAN
4
BARDIYA
KASKI
GORKHA
1
B
ROLPA
A
G
L
LAMJUNG
U
N
4
G
PARBAT
RASUWA
BANKE
PYUT-
14
11
9
HAN
GULMI
1
DANG
TANAHU
9
6
SYANGJA
SINDHU-
ARGHAK
19
12
NUWAKOT
PALCHOK
HACHI
PALPA
DOLAKHA
DHADING
5
3
2
KATHMMANDU
RUPAN-
KAPIL-
2
10
NAWAL
SULUK-
BHAK
PARASI
BASTU
DEHI
4
2
HUMBU
P
SANKHUWA-
CHITWAN
TAPLEJUNG
10
23
A
MAKAWAN-
H
LALIT
SABA
KAVRE
H
11
PUR
C
E
4
M
Casualties
A
OKHAL-
6
1
R
5
PARSA
DHUNGA
8
8
4
3
SINDHULI
KHOTANG
TERHA-
8
3
BHOJ-
THUM
10
No Casualties
13
BARA
PANCHTHAR
RAUT-
PUR
19
AHAT
DHAN-
UDAYAPUR
SARLAHI
MAHO-
5 or less
5 or less
KUTA
TARI
6
2
DHA NUSA
ILAM
15
6 to 10
6 to 10
SIRAHA
1
MORANG
SAPTARI
JHAPA
11 to 15
11 to 15
1
SUNSARI
16 or more
16 or more
6
169 new casualties in 2006 only 51 districts
affected 91 children
1
HUMLA
DARCHULA
BAJHANG
MUGU
6
1
BAITADI
BAJURA
DADEL-
1
JUMLA
DHURA
DOTI
ACHHAM
DOLPA
KALIKOT
5
2
5
3
MUSTANG
KANCHAN-
DAILEKH
PUR
1
JAJARKOT
2
1
5
KAILALI
1
RUKUM
MANANG

20
SURKHET
7
MYAGDI
SALYAN
3
BARDIYA
KASKI
GORKHA
1
B
ROLPA
A
G
3
1
L
LAMJUNG
U
N
G
PARBAT
RASUWA
BANKE
1
PYUT-
4
3
HAN
GULMI
1
1
DANG
TANAHU
2
SYANGJA
ARGHAK
SINDHU-
6
2
HACHI
NUWAKOT
PALCHOK
2
1
PALPA
DOLAKHA
KAPIL-
DHADING
KATHMMANDU
Casualties
2
NAWAL
SULUK-
BHAK
RUPAN-
BASTU
2
HUMBU
SANKHUWA-
DEHI
P
PARASI
CHITWAN
TAPLEJUNG
1
A
10
MAKAWAN-
H
LALIT
SABA
KAVRE
H
8
C
No Casualties
PUR
E
1
M
A
R
OKHAL-
1
1
5 or less
DHUNGA
4
PARSA
SINDHULI
1
KHOTANG
TERHA-
2
3
3
5
BHOJ-
THUM
8
6 to 10
BARA
RAUT-
PUR
PANCHTHAR
SARLAHI
7
AHAT
DHAN-
1
UDAYAPUR
2
MAHO-
KUTA
11 to 15
TARI
2
ILAM
DHANUSA
16 or more
SIRAHA
1
1
MORANG
SAPTARI
12
JHAPA
SUNSARI
7
Children are the first victims of explosives in
Nepal
Nepal has highest rate of child casualties from
victim-activated explosions worldwide.
8
Oct. 2006, Houses Become 1st place of incident
9
An increasing scenario in many Nepali homes
10
Beware the first quarter of the year
1st part of the year is the most at risk!
Lets be Proactive in 2007!
11
Victim-Activated Explosions
12
Lessons learned from peace processes
Victims
Combatants
Civilians
Time
PEACE
13

• Why is there an increase in the number of
  victim-activated explosions??
• large quantities of devices
• great motivation to get rid of these devices
• lack of risk-knowledge
• increasing freedom of movement
• increasing carelessness due to the false
  perception that peace means end of explosions
• misunderstanding of the peace agreement ('it is
  up to everyone to bring ammunition to UN
  cantonment, authorities, etc.)
• appearance of abandoned military positions

14
Rays of Hope

• Peace Agreement states , "The key principle that
  shall underpin permitted activities for both
  sides shall be to alleviate the effects of the
  armed conflict on civilians and the war-affected
  areas and to galvanise popular support for peace
  ...

15
Agreement

• Permitted activities include
• (1) De-mining and decommissioning of military
  hazards.

16
Agreement

• Both sides shall assist each other to mark
• landmines and booby-traps used during the time
  of armed conflict by providing necessary
  information within 30 days and to defuse and
  remove/lift and destroy them within 60 days

17
Agreement

• The commanders NA PLA shall provide the
  following information in detail to the UN
  Mission Minefields, landmines, unexploded
  ordnance, standard explosives, improvised
  explosive devices and exact location of such items

18
Agreement

• All IEDs will be collected at designated sites at
  safe distance from the main cantonment areas

19
So what has the Mine Action Group Been Doing so
far ??
20
Coordination The Mine Action Working Group
collects disseminates information on the impact
of IEDs, mines and other explosive devices It
works to develop common standards (including
Nepali terminology) and common prioritization
mechanisms for prevention.
Surveillance National surveillance systems on
victim-activated explosions based on media
reports (UNICEF) and victim reports (INSEC
supported by HI)
21
Mine Risk Education (MRE) Not stand-alone,
has been infused into other activities-- school
activities, child clubs, orientation workshops.
Weak monitoring, low funding made it lose steam
in 2006. Prototype of emergency kit developed for
pre-positioning in all affected districts.
Victim Assistance Still in infancy in Nepal.
Assistance to mines/IED/ERW victims infused into
other victim assistance projects supported by
the ICRC, HI, SCNN, and national NGOs such
Himrights, and others.
22
Advocacy NCBL Geneva Call obtain commitment
from major political parties Maoists for
complete ban of landmines and victim assistance
support. GICHD facilitates workshop on IH Laws
and Standards for SF officers UNICEF's New
victim-activated explosions in Nepal 2005
report widely disseminated Nationwide "Save
limbs, Save lives, " public information campaign
launched
Clearance NA in process of clearing minefields.
Conducting low level training to develop capacity
to respond to deal with UXOs.   Estimated
that CPN/M do not have appropriate equipment or
expertise on standing operating procedures on
low-risk handling, storing and demolishing their
IEDs
23
CampaignDont Touch Explosive Devices!Save
Limbs Save Lives
24
Ammunition Report
25
Neutralization, Safe Storage or Demolition
26
Looking Ahead
Consolidation of the Mine Action Structure and
its Capacity to React .. five pillars.. with
database as foundation
Establishment of a National Pool of Expertise ...
Nepali mine action specialists
27
A country free of IEDs and Landmines where
children can play in a safe
environment