Just one step could cost a life or limb

04.04.2021

From Cambodia to Mozambique, Angola and Afghanistan, thousands of lives lost, or maimed, including several children, because of one unfortunate step... a consequence of millions of landmines buried in countries across the world, decades ago.

Years after the conflicts ended, mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices still threaten some of the most vulnerable people in society: women travelling to markets, farmers herding cattle, humanitarian workers trying to reach those in need.

Mines continue to cause dreadful harm, instil fear and stop refugees and internally displaced people from returning to their homes... scars of previous conflicts that still open new wounds for civilians today.

Mines also continue to disrupt economic recovery and development, and survivors are often condemned to a life of poverty because of their injuries and the lack of rehabilitation services.

In 2021, there is the added challenge of COVID-19 but demining work will continue by adapting itself.

Following the Mine Ban Convention of 1997, many countries have declared themselves mine free – with others well on the way. This action emanated from the outcry by civil society in the early 1990s driving the multilateral system to take a stand against the use of anti-personnel mines. The European Union is strongly committed to supporting actions addressing the threats of anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war, including improvised explosive devices.

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The EU is the world’s second biggest donor when it comes to mine action, after the United States, providing mine action assistance such as mine clearance, mine risk education, stockpile destruction, and assistance to victims in over 15 countries across the world, including: Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Guinea, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, Syria and Ukraine.

“The achievements of the mine action community show that, in working together, we can reach milestones once seen as impossible” - UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Mini Quiz: Be rewarded for your mine education

The European Union is one of the largest donors in support to Mine Action in Bosnia and Herzegovina with approximately €46 million invested up to now. Besides mine clearance the EU support the returnees and landmine victims in BiH, improving the safety of citizens. The EU also funded the creation of Mine Cation centre information System Platform that is able to provide accurate, transparent and reliable mine action data.

On Wednesday 31st March, EUFOR in BiH launched the virtual Mine Risk Education (MRE) campaign that was produced in close cooperation with BiH Mine Action Center (BH MAC) and Armed Forces BiH (AFBiH). This virtual Mine Risk Education campaign was launched to coincide with International Mine Awareness Day and ahead of the start of Demining season in BiH.

The campaign includes a virtual educational tutorial video delivering Mine Risk Education to children, young adults and families in the safety of their homes, at a time when contact with the public is limited, and a mini quiz with prizes to be won.