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Mine Action News - November 2014

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Emergency Mine Risk Education

Two DanChurchAid (DCA) Humanitarian Mine Action Risk Education teams, funded by the Common Humanitarian Fund, delivered and continue to deliver necessary Mine Risk Education (MRE) in Bor to returnees. Following rapid needs assessment this population was identified as the one that needs immediate MRE in order for them to be able to identify dangerous items and make safe decisions, such as not to touch them, to warn others and to report the items for clearance.

Each MRE session was tailored to the audience and therefore slightly different. Sessions targeted to men addressed the risky behaviours that men were carrying out in the Bor area, such as moving Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) they found near their tukuls and taking them to more remote locations. Sessions targeted to women addressed the fact that women are likely to come across dangerous items when collecting firewood, especially in the areas 20km south of Bor, where fighting was extremely heavy. Sessions targeted to children included songs and games, with frequent repetition of the safety messages and a lot of audience participation.

As well as providing potentially life-saving safety messages, the two teams reported all dangerous and suspicious items found by the community to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, also tasked to work in the Bor area.

The items removed and destroyed by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team included mortars, projectiles, rockets, grenades and small arms ammunition of various sizes.  Some of the heaviest fighting took place about 20km south of Bor Town, and it was in these villages that the MRE teams spent much of their time.

“I have worked in mine action for over four years, but I had never before seen so many dangerous ERW items scattered around one place,” said Ayaa, a MRE team member. “Almost every day we were finding a new item – the place was really full of them, and I felt proud that I could help clear the items and make the people safe again.”

Another important part of the MRE teams’ work was to ensure all members of the community were made aware of any demolitions planned and carried out by the EOD team. The sound of an explosion, if not expected, could easily cause fear and panic among the local population, and result in rumours of renewed attacks and cause people to flee their homes again. A few days before a planned demolition, the MRE teams sensitized the local community, explaining exactly what was going to happen and when and where the demolition would take place.

As more people return home to Bor, it is vital that Mine Action assistance continues. In this way, when the people decide they want to return home, the town and surrounding villages can be inhabited again in a safe manner.

Case study story by Marysia Zapasnik, DCA.

Photographs taken with authorisation from Marysia Zapasnik, DCA. 

WFP Feeder Roads Project

UNMAS started assiting the World Food Programme (WFP) with the Feeder Roads Project on 4 August 2014. The team worked on the main road from Opari village to Pageri village (Eastern Equatoria state). The work began shortly after a  bulldozer from the WFP road contractor detonated an anti-tank landmine. During UNMAS clearance of this area teams also found particles of two anti-personnel land mines. 

A Community Liaison (CL) team working with the route survey team continued liaising with the community and gathering information on Suspected Hazardous (SH) areas. The team interviewed some of the community members around the area where the mine incident took place.

Mr. Joseph Lona David (seen in the photo with his family) said he only knew about the mine once it was detonated by the bulldozer. Nobody knew about it before that day. They are now very careful walking in the area but they did not find anything in their cultivated areas. Mr. Joseph said: "It is good for the road to be built. Now we can take our crops to the market and people will come and buy from us." 

UNMAS's work assisting WFP has helped Joseph's family as well as many others living alongside the road feel safe and continue with their daily lives. Once the road will be finished, trade will bring further development to this community.

UN Day Celebrations

24 October 2014 - UN Day was marked across South Sudan’s states by colourful celebrations featuring cultural dances, drawing competitions, school donations, sporting activities and speeches.

The UN Day celebrations were continued on 25 October on the site of a community school project in Kapuri village, just outside Juba, where the Rwandan Battalion, with the help of the local community were constructing a new school.

UNMAS' contribution to the celebration consisted of Explosive Detection Dog demonstrations of baggage and vehicle searches, as well as a mock minefield demonstration where children could use metal detectors.

Victim Assistance Profile

UNMAS funds Handicap International (HI) activities in Yei (Central Equatoria state) to enhance access to diversified livelihoods opportunities for Landmine/ERW survivors and persons with disabilities. The project provides small business skills training to 100 beneficiaries. One of those beneficiaries is Alex Wani. Wani was a soldier until he stepped on a landmine in 1994 while in Luki, Kenya resulting in a bilateral lower limb amputation. 

Wani was previously supported by his brother and some small welding work when available in Yei. In July 2014, Wani attended the small motor and bicycle mechanics training supported by HI at the Vocational Training Centre. The training has given him the skills and confidence to dream of starting his own small bicycle repair shop.

Wani received a small grant and tools to start a small bicycle repair business after writing a business plan with the support of HI staff. Wani identified and secured a suitable workplace near the main road and not far from his home. He plans to carry out bicycle and tricycle repairs with replacement of spare parts. Wani reports he is motivated to run his own business after the training to earn an income to support his family. He is hoping to be able to start his two older children in school next year as if the business goes well he will be able to afford the school fees. In the future, he dreams of owning his own plot of land for his house so he will not need to rent.

Wani told HI the training and the support provided to him has motivated him to work hard and to save money he earns. Through the training, he has learnt the importance of saving, as this was not something he previously was able to do.

“The training has supported me. I think with this knowledge I am going to be able to change my family’s life”. Alex Wani, September 2014.

Case study story collected by Hikma Susan, Community Rehabilitation worker, Handicap International.
Photographs taken with written authorisation © Sophie Allin, VA Project Manager, Handicap International.

Gender Training

On 23 October 2014, UNMAS supported a half-day workshop on 'Mainstreaming Gender in Mine Action' by its partner DanChurchAid (DCA). It was attended by a diverse and dynamic group of mine action partners in South Sudan and included UNMAS staff, UNMAS implementing partners, NGOs and the National Mine Action Authority.

The topics covered included 'Introduction to Gender and why Gender is important in Mine Action'; 'What is sexual exploitation and abuse – why talk about it now?'  as well as practical exercises on gender in landmine clearance, non-technical survey, mine risk education and victim assistance.

In the second half of the workshop, the 2013 Gender Mainstreaming Strategy was discussed. The group reviewed progress that has been made since the last Gender in Mine Action Programme visit  and how to better mainstream gender and improve programme response in the future.

Where we currently work

The above map, generated from the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database, shows where mine action teams were at the end of October 2014.

Please note UNMAS can supply other maps upon request, including a map of all hazardous areas in our database, maps of accidents and maps of hazards cleared. You can also see them at the following link: http://unmas.org/southsudan/index.php/maps.

Contact Us

For further information, please contact Iulia Toma at iulia.toma@unmas.org or iuliat@unops.org, or (+211) 959 002 709.

We would also like to hear any suggestions you may have on our reporting and let us know if there are any issues you would be interested in reading about in these updates.