No: 11 E- Newsletter March-April 2011

Foreword Foreword Siraj Barzani *

he socio-economic impact of T minefields on surrounding com- munities in and governorates of the Kurdistan Region of were made abundantly appar- ent following the implementation of Participants of the workshop the Preliminary Technical Survey con- ducted by IKMAA. The PTS demon- strated that confirmed hazardous areas IIKMAAKMAA pparticipatesarticipates inin GICHDGICHD MineMine in IKMAA areas of responsibility are a primary blockage factor obstructing AActionction CContractingontracting WWorkshoporkshop the agricultural sector in particular. Ali M. Miran* As per the PTS almost 100% of CHAs identified in IKMAA areas of respon- wo IKMAA representatives (IKMAA sibility block agricultural fields. The T Deputy Director General of Technical PTS broke down agricultural fields Affairs and IKMAA Director of Legal into crops and pasture and found that Affairs) participated in the Mine Action blocked agricultural fields are mainly Contracting workshop organized by the Geneva composed of pasture however ac- International Center for Humanitarian Demin- cording to the same source 10% of all ing (GICHD) from April 4-8, 2011 in Geneva, CHAs in the Governorate of Erbil and Switzerland. 18% of all CHAs in the Governorate of The workshop aimed towards staff from Na- Duhok block crops as well. tional Mine Action Authorities, Non-Govern- Crop fields blocked in IKMAA areas mental Organizations (NGOs) and commercial IKMAA delegation presents a gift to Ambassador Stephan Husy of responsibility consist of irrigated companies active in Mine Action contracting. The workshop was an opportunity for IKMAA and rainfed fields. 6% of the total Participants came from more than 14 different participants to broaden their knowledge on the CHA areas in the Governorate of Erbil countries including Iraq (the Kurdistan Region), discussed topics and meet mine action practition- and 3% of the total CHA areas in the Denmark, Afghanistan, Sweden, Norway, Con- go, Tajikistan, South Korea, Cambodia, Jordan, ers from a variety of nations. Workshop presen- Governorate of Duhok block irrigated tations were conducted by experienced profes- fields while another 3% block rainfed Iran, Switzerland, Israel and Western Sahara. The course covered various aspects and topics sionals from different Mine Action backgrounds. fields in Erbil and 14% block rainfed At the end of the workshop participants suc- fields in Duhok governorates. of Contracting such as contract management, project management, insurance, liability in mine cessfully passed the tests and were awarded the The PTS also found that minefields workshop certificate. block access to water in affected com- action, legal aspects of mine action contracting, munities. 3% of CHA total areas in examples of contracting, working with sub-con- *Director of Legal Affairs IKMAA the governorate of Erbil and 4% in the tractors, gender diversity in Mine action etc. [email protected] Governorate of Duhok block access to water for both drinking and irrigation Recent Mine/UXO victims purposes. Ako Aziz Mine Action Agency is currently developing its strategic O n March 11, 2011 in Fatawa village of collective town / Zawita Sub-district of Duhok plan based on the recent findings of the Hareer Sub-district in , governorate, a twelve year old child named PTS. This survey helped release huge a with 55 year old man named Hayder Aryan Salih Qasim died while playing with an tracts of land suspected of being con- Muhammed Nabi and his daughter Mahnaz Unexploded Ordnance outside the village. taminated and we believe it will help Hayder, 11 years old were injured due to the ex- A number of minefields are as close as one kil- mobilizing our resources in a more ef- plosion of a mortar shell in their garden. Hay- ometer to the Kora collective town plaguing ficient and cost effective way towards the inhabitants’ daily life. The Board of Inquiry der was getting rid of the weed in his garden by the remaining confirmed hazardous formed to look into this accident has not been burning it thus causing the accident. They were areas. able to positively determine the type of the ex- both immediately transferred to Erbil Emergen- plosive item due to the huge explosion that oc- cy hospital. Unfortunately, Haydar passed away curred. * Head of IKMAA after two days at the hospital. * Director / Directorate of Mine Risk Education / IKMAA In another accident, on March 16, 2011 in Kora [email protected]

[email protected] No: 11 E- Newsletter March-April 2011 2 IKMAA-Erbil Directorate of Implementation marks the 6th International day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

Rafat Babaker

n April 4, 2011 the International MAA manual clearance teams. 167 Anti tion. O Day for Mine Awareness and Assis- Personnel Mines of different types and In another activity on the same occasion, tance in Mine Action was celebrated 3 UXOs were found and destroyed dur- IKMAA Erbil Directorate of implementa- by handing over a cleared mine field to ing clearance operations removing a ma- tion also destroyed 500 UXOs and 42 an- their owners in Erbil governorate. The jor threat on safety and livelihood of the ti-personnel mines of different types near Mleshwanan cleared minefield is located people living in the nearby communities. Darusalam village in Rawanduz District. in Barsereen village of Rawanduz dis- The ceremony was attended by Mayor The events were extensively covered by trict in Erbil governorate adjacent to the of Rawanduz District, representatives of the media. famous Hamilton international transit government departments, mass media as road next to the Iraq-Iran border. A total well as local residents. The cleared land Director/ directorate of implementation- Erbil of 11,650 m2 of land was cleared by IK- will be used for grazing and transporta- [email protected] April 4 Handover Ceremony in Duhok

Owenan Yousif*

nder the auspices of Kurdistan Re- Group organized the handover ceremony minefields which blocked housing, trans- U gional Government (KRG)-Iraqi of eight cleared minefields to their own- portation, tourism and agriculture devel- Kurdistan Mine Acton Agency (IK- ers. opment as well as grazing. MAA) and on the occasion of the Inter- Cleared Minefields are Located in Man- In total 298,786 m² of cleared land was national Day for Mine Awareness and gesh, Zawita, Rizgari, Bamarni, Faydia Assistance in Mine Action, IKMAA Di- and Zumar Sub- districts. 82 anti- person- released to the owners. rectorate of Implementation in the gov- nel mines and 35 various types of unex- • Director / Directorate of Implementation - Duhok / IKMAA ernorate of Duhok and Mines Advisory ploded ordnance were destroyed in those [email protected]

Siraj Barzani Ako Aziz Hamad Akar Jalil Executive Editor Digital Distributor Graphic Designer