Land mines

Nicaragua is mine-free

Managua, 18 June 2010 — As Nicaragua celebrates completion of its mine clearance activities, Central America becomes the world’s first landmine-free region, said the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today. North and Central America, from the Arctic Circle to the Colombian border, are now free from the threat of landmines. This success demonstrates that with sustained efforts a mine-free world is possible.

Assistance, Advocacy, Access Serbia

NPA is supporting a newly founded local NGO in Serbia that will work with issues related to victim assistance to survivors from accidents caused by explosive remnants of war (ERW).

Time for USA to Join the Mine Ban Treaty

Eleven years after the Mine Ban Treaty became binding international law, activists worldwide are stepping up their call on the United States to join.

NPA Continue to support Mine Action in Thailand

A new MOU was signed this month enabling the continual support to Mine Action in the Kingdom of Thailand.

NPA Completes General Landmine Action Assessment of Georgia

In a handover ceremony on the 28th January 2010, NPA formally presented the Georgian Ministry of Defence with the report covering the Georgian General Landmine Action Assessment (GMAA).

Praise for political activisim in the field of mine clearance

The role as both a vocal political actor and a mine clearance operator makes Norwegian People’s Aid stand out from other organizations. This is concluded by NORAD’s evaluation of Norwegian People’s Aid mine clearance work over the last decade.

Land released after mine clearance

After first declaring land in Sudan safe from explosives, NPA followed up the affected communities with a Rural Development programme, resulting in a farmers group; planting of twenty four hectares of land; and establishment of a tree nursery.

Diary from the Mine-Free World conference: Friday, December 4

Atle Karlsen, NPA Mine Action advisor, attends the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World, and sends home daily updates.

Mine Action Milestone in Jordan

The NPA Mine Action program in Jordan has set a record in mines recovery and disposal by surpassing 100 000 mines in November 2009. This is the single largest number of mines found and recovered by any NPA MA program worldwide.

NPA Secretary General visits Ethiopia

Mr.Petter Eide, Secretary General of Norwegian People’s Aid, is visiting projects run by the organisation within Mine Action and Development.

One year anniversary for NPAs all-female demining team in Jordan!

The 12th of October 2008, a group of women in Jordan began what seemed at the time as an impossible task.

Mine Action Sudan - Third Quarter 2009 Report

The 3rd quarter of 2009 has been a good period for the programme. The late arrival of the rain has kept productivity on a good level, even if our MineWolf had an incident in August while working on high contaminated ground in Lainya Project, and got damaged.

The women who clear Sudan's minefields

BBC has interviewed Jamba Besta and other members of her team which clears mines for Norwegian People's Aid in South Sudan.

Mine Action Sudan Second Quarter 2009 Report

The second quarter of 2009 was much influenced by the tragic accident the programme had in BAC team 1 on 13 May. During sub surface search one of our operators stepped on a suspected Anti Personnel Mine, which resulted in his left foot had to be amputated just over his ankle.

NPA at the Intersessionals

NPAs Intervention at the Meeting of the Resource Utilisation Contact Group at the Intersessional meeting in Geneva, May 27th

Portfolio 2009

The portfolio contains all countries we're currently involved in with Mine Action activities.

NPA Mine Action Opens Up Southern Sudan

Kajo Keji is a beautiful little market town, tucked away in the hills of Southern Sudan; the town has a small market and a couple of schools and is covered with large mango trees supplying the residents with much needed shade from the hot Sudanese sun.

Productive quarter for mine-detection dogs in Ethiopia

More than half a million square metres were cleared from January until the end of March 2009.

Rebuilding starts in the ground

Houses are still standing. The fields are still green. But no-one can use them before the ground is safe to walk on. Danger lurks under 10 centimetres of soil.

CMC urges Sri Lanka to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions

In an open letter to president Mahinda Rajapaska the Cluster Munition Coalition urges Sri Lanka to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions

More dogs in more places.

With 2008 lagging towards its end, NPA Mine Action in Ethiopia has taken more steps in developing the program according to the plan- to make partner EMAO fully responsible.

Mine Action Rwanda - Phase 2 Report

The Rwanda Demining Project is now half way through, according to the initial time schedule. The team has cleared half of the dangerous area.

Female Deminers Can Do It!

It has been a hectic week for Senya Jane and her female demining team. They have received their yearly accreditation and they have participated in a Women Can Do It workshop.

If they can find them here, they’ll find them anywhere.

Take a mine-detection dog from the desert of the Somali region, to 3000 meters above sea level at Entoto Mine Action Training Centre. Make him used to the new and very different environment, and re-test him. Then you can be sure that he will operate according to international standard procedures.

NPA Sudan starts mine clearance in Rwanda

In August NPA Mine Action Sudan was operational with the Mine Wolf mechanical demining machine at Kanombe Minefield, just outside Kigali.

Positive End-Review

–We have been waiting for the End-Review to take place for quite some time, and are naturally very pleased with the conclusions being so positive for NPA and EMAO, says Mr Per Breivik, Mine Action Program Manger for NPA in Ethiopia.

Expansion contract signed

On December 17th, NPA signed a 4 million Birr contract with the Ethiopian Mine Action Organization (EMAO) and a local engineer company named Afro-Tsion PLC with the aim of expanding the Mine Action Training Center at Entoto.

Portfolio 2007 - 2008

NPA Mine Action Portfolio document is now updated.

50 000 mines cleared in Jordan

Norwegian People’s Aid reports clearance of 50 000 mines in Wadi Araba region and the start of the technical survey on the Jordanian-Syrian Border

Sudan Mine Action: Third quarterly report

The SPLM decision on 11 October to suspend its participation in the Government of National Unity has sent a clear signal to the international community that there is an urgent need to re-engage with the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) lest Sudan’s North-South war resume. Against this challenging setting, there is positive news to report: work is underway in Nimule, Eastern Equatoria, to establish South Sudan’s first safari park – a clear sign of development and stability within the region.

Psychosocial rehabilitation for landmine and uxo survivors

In the period from July 15 to August 12, 2007 NPA Mine Action Programme Croatia assisted Croatian NGO "Bembo" in the organisation and implementation of a project aiming at supporting the Psycho-social Rehabilitation for Landmine and UXO Survivors from South East Europe.

Second quarterly report Sudan

The NPA Mine Action programme reports of progress in food production and economic development in the region of Yei.

First quartely report Sudan

NPA has made a good start to work in 2007. In line with the move from emergency towards recovery and development, NPA has placed greater emphasis on nationalisation of the programme.

Intervention on NPAs Land Release Concept to the RMCG

Per Nergaard, Head of NPAs Mine Action Section, elaborates the organisations views on Land Release to the Resource Mobilisation Contact Group during the recent seventh Meeting of States Parties to the AP convention.

NPA staff in car accident

On November 9, 2006 a car accident occurred on the road from Sibeni to Benkovac in Croatia, involving dr. Dragomir Reljic and Dr. Ana Colovic Jakupec, from NPA mine action program's medical team. Dr. Reljic died instantly in the accident. Dr. Jakupec was seriously injured, and is now in Sibenik hospital. Her condition is considered to be critical.

Croatian company donates mine clearance machine

Croatian company DOK-ING donates a mine clearance machine to NPA's mine action programme in Croatia for a period of one year. NPA will use this machine on its mine clearance tasks in Croatia and Serbia.

Norwegian People’s Aid clears mines in Serbia

Serbian farmers will soon have access to land that has been off-limits for almost 15 years. That will happen thanks to NPA, who in cooperation with the Norwegian and Serbian governments will expand their mine clearance work. Secretary General Finn Erik Thoresen was in place for the official opening in October.

For mine clearing expert, Sri Lanka truce a godsend

KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka, Jan 26 (Reuters) - While a Norwegian peace envoy held talks with Tamil Tiger leaders in northern Sri Lanka, one man waited anxiously for hours for news that the government and the rebels would resume peace talks. Read more at Reuters

Victims of cluster munitions in Lebanon

Every day, civilians are killed or wounded by the 300,000 to 500,000 unexploded cluster bomblets that litter Southern Lebanon after the Israeli offensive. A visit to a local hospital unveils endless suffering. NPA is now taking on the task of clearing unexploded cluster munitions in Lebanon, a crucial job to be done before full reconstruction can take place.

Survived the war; not the peace

Cluster munitions kill civilians in Lebanon. 13 year old boy Hadi stepped on a cluster submunition in Southern Lebanon just one hour after the ceasefire went into place. - My son is gone. What will I do without my son, asks his mother Wafaa.

NPA and the Government of Jordan break mine clearance records

The Government of Jordan has made a strong committment to destroy all landmines in the country by 2009 in accordance with its signatory to the International Mine Ban Treaty. As the task is significant in scale and impact , the Government of Jordan has asked for assistance by Norwegian People’s Aid to clear all anti-personnel and anti-tank mines along the border to Israel from the Red sea to the Dead Sea within this time. Funding has kindly been made available by the Government of Norway and also by the Governments of Germany, Finland and Japan.

Expert mine-hunters

Felix, a German Shepherd, has been hunting mines now for five years. - It’s a marathon every day. The dogs have to be in extremely good physical shape, says dog trainer Håkon Ovland of Norwegian People’s Aid.

NPA Croatia and the Croatian Mine Victims Association organised skiing, music, photo and IT workshops for landmine survivors

From March 4 to March 11, 2006 the Croatian Mine Victims Association (CMVA) and NPA Mine Action Programme Croatia (NPA) organised the 1st winter workshops for landmine survivors from Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Community Participation in Mine Action

In line with the NPA international strategy, which promotes a rights-based partnership approach, the NPA is now committed to exploring new approaches to mine action that promote greater involvement of the local mine affected populations. A starting point in this process is a review and conceptual framework paper prepared for NPA by Ruth Bottomley.

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For mine clearing expert, Sri Lanka truce a godsend

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