The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) welcomes a donation of 7 million Danish krone (DKK) (more than 1 million USD) from the Government of Denmark for life-saving humanitarian mine action activities in Ethiopia.
The support will go towards the UNMAS “Humanitarian mine action to promote peace and safety in Northern Ethiopia” project. This project seeks to mitigate the threat posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war which endangers the lives of people and communities in the Tigray and Afar regions of the country.
The funds will allow UNMAS Explosive Ordnance Assessment teams to conduct technical assessments, including surveying and marking, and limited area searches while collecting accurate information regarding the presence of explosive ordnance. Teams will further provide explosive ordnance risk education to the at-risk populations and community focal points, raising awareness on the threat posed by explosive ordnance. The project will also assist the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) to build its capacity to manage and coordinate mine action interventions at the national and regional levels, strengthening the sector in the country.
“We are very grateful for the support from the Government of Denmark in strengthening the mine action sector in Ethiopia and protecting its population from the dangers of explosives hazards,” said the UNMAS Chief of Mine Action in Ethiopia, Ms. Francesca Chiaudani. “Mine action is essential to enable a return to normalcy of the education and health systems, it facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid and the safe return of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugees to their communities of origin,” she concluded.