Emergency Mre Handbook
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Emergency Mine Risk Education Toolkit EMERGENCY MRE HANDBOOK July 2008 First Edition, New York unicef unite for children Key do’s and don’ts Do adapt the messages and materials illustrated in this Handbook to local circumstances – they’re suggestions not a blueprint. don’t provide technical details about mines or explosive remnants of war to children. Do make sure you understand the explosive threat in as much detail as possible before planning your programme. don’t carry on implementing your emergency mine risk education programme for more than six weeks before reviewing progress. Do work in partnership with other MRE organisations, not in competition. don’t print your own materials if you can agree on a standard set of materials that every organisation can use – this ensures consistency of message and approach. Do use a mix of communication channels to get your safety messages across successfully. Be creative! unicef For every child Health, Education, Equality, Protection ADVANCE HUMANITY Contents INTRODUCTION 1 Responsibilities What is MRE? 1 What is emergency MRE? 1 and timelines How does MRE differ in an emergency? 1 What is the aim of the Emergency MRE Handbook? 2 Layout of the Handbook 2 SECTION A: Responsibilities and timelines 3 SECTION B: Understanding the threat 4 Types of explosive device 4 Relative threats to the civilian population 6 SECTION C: A needs and capacities assessment 7 Determining target audiences 8 Sources of information on casualties 8 Gathering data on suspected hazardous areas 9 Storing data 9 Ten principles for data gathering 10 UNICEF works with children, SECTION D: Setting objectives and strategies families and communities to for an emergency MRE campaign 11 lower their risks of being hurt Setting objectives 11 by landmines. We work for and with mine Targeting strategies 11 survivors. MRE for men 11 MRE for adolescent boys 12 MRE for women and girls 12 UNICEF advocates for MRE for IDPs and refugees 12 the universal ban Integrating MRE with other programmes 12 of all anti-personnel landmines Estimating costs 13 and for an end to the use Specifications and cost estimates for material production 13 of cluster munitions. SECTION E: Communicating MRE effectively 14 Behavioural change 14 Key MRE messages 14 Communication channels 14 unicef Costing material production and dissimination 15 For every child Health, Education, Equality, Protection Means of dissemination 15 ADVANCE HUMANITY Pre-testing ideas and communication approaches 15 Field-testing messages and approaches 16 Summary of steps towards communicating MRE effectively in emergencies 16 Resources for radio broadcasts 16 Where the threat is mainly cluster munitions 17 Where the threat is mainly anti-personnel mines 17 Where the threat is mainly landmines 18 Developing printed materials 18 Where the threat is primarily cluster munitions 19 Where the threat is mainly explosive remnants of war (other than cluster munitions) 20 Where the threat is mainly anti-personnel mines 21 Comments are welcome on Where the threat is mainly landmines 22 this first edition. Please contact the Child Protection Division SECTION F: Coordinating emergency MRE 24 in UNICEF New York. International Agencies 24 UN Agencies 24 International NGOs 24 Photo legends Local NGOs 24 All photos are © UNICEF The role of dedicated MRE teams 25 unless otherwise stated. Project coordination 25 The role of the authorities 25 25 Cover photo: The role of the military 26 Preventing the damage The role of non-state armed groups 26 in Nepal, © UNICEF/Hugues Laurenge, The role of the Red Cross Movement 26 ICRC 26 2004 Red Cross/Red Crescent Society 26 SECTION G: Staff security and safety 27 Credit has been given to the photographer, NGO Training humanitarian workers to be mine-safe 27 or other source of illustrations SECTION H: After the initial emergency is over 28 where they are known. Monitoring progress 29 If we have omitted anyone, it is inadvertent and future Annexes 30 editions will include the proper Annex A: Glossary 30 Abbreviations and key terms 30 reference. Selected resources 30 Annex B: Suggested curriculum for training an emergency MRE team 31 unicef Annex C: Sample KAP Survey questionnaire 32 For every child Health, Education, Equality, Protection Index 33 ADVANCE HUMANITY Introduction What is MRE? How does MRE differ in Mine risk education (MRE) is a preventive health and education an emergency? initiative that seeks to save the lives and limbs of civilian adults and children who are either living with the threat of Ideally, MRE should be an exchange of Armed landmines or ERW, or who are likely to face such a threat information with specific groups within conflict (for example, during and following the repatriation or return at-risk communities to support sustained typically of displaced persons). Its primary strategy is to instil safe behavioural change. This is the basis of results in behaviour by raising awareness and educating both those community-based MRE. In an emergency, explosive at risk as well as those around them who can influence their for reasons of time, most of the communication will normally be one-way. hazards that behaviour. The aim is to reach the greatest number threaten the An MRE campaign or project provides safety messages about of at-risk people in a few weeks with lives and well- information about the explosive threat and being of civilians, the existence of a threat from explosive devices through a . This may include the basic safety messages to encourage safe particularly children. variety of communication channels mass media, working with the Ministry of Education and other behaviour. Good MRE is always based on an understanding of people, particularly Depending on government counterparts to integrate MRE into the primary why children, are at risk from mines or ERW. We the extent of and secondary school curricula. In addition, MRE also uses the technique of “community liaison” to support the efforts generally think of four risk-taking categories contamination and the for the purposes of MRE: response, this threat of affected communities to address the impact of mines and ERW. This is done by helping to develop capacities within may last for weeks, Unaware the person doesn’t know about communities to manage the risks from mines and ERW and to years or even decades. the danger of mines or ERW; this category help them to link with other mine action operators (especially But the most acute threat, typically includes very young children; those involved in demining or victim assistance) as well as the person knows about with the highest number The Uninformed broader relief and development actors. mines or ERW but doesn’t know about safe of civilian casualties, is behaviour; this category typically includes typically in the first six children or the elderly; weeks following an end to What is emergency MRE? The Reckless the person knows about mine- fighting. UNICEF defines an emergency as “a situation which threatens safe behaviour but ignores it; this category the lives and wellbeing of large numbers of population and in typically includes adolescent boys playing Both in the immediate which extraordinary action is required to ensure their survival, with ERW); aftermath and in the long- care and protection.” An emergency may result from an armed The Intentional the person has no option term, in different countries conflict or a natural disaster. Emergency MRE refers to efforts but to intentionally adopt unsafe behaviour; children comprise anywhere in an emergency situation to raise awareness of the threat this includes especially male youths or adults from 30 to 60% of killed from mines and explosive remnants of war and to promote safe farming or grazing in suspect hazardous and injured civilians from behaviour among the largest number of civilians potentially at areas. risk, particularly children, in the shortest possible time. explosive remnants of war 1 The term “explosive remnants of war“ covers unexploded (ERW). ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance. Unexploded Point to consider: ordnance (or UXO) refers to any ammunition that has 1The percentage of child been used but which has failed to detonate as intended. Remember that the process of how the emergency phase Abandoned explosive ordnance (or AXO) refers to mine victims, however, is is addressed by MRE is all important, as it will positively or ammunition stockpiles that have been left behind by a party typically lower. negatively affect longer-term actions and results. to an armed conflict. See, further, Section B of this Toolkit. 1 What is the aim of Layout of the Handbook the Emergency MRE The Handbook is divided into eight sections, each included with supporting materials. Section A Section F Toolkit? Provides an overview of responsibilities in an emergency Looks at coordination of MRE efforts in MRE campaign, including timelines for the different an emergency. It describes the strengths The Toolkit is designed to take an MRE interventions outlined in the Handbook. and weaknesses of the main actors project manager or project team step- typically involved in some way in MRE, by-step through the first six weeks of an Section B including within mine action.2 Coordination emergency MRE campaign. Describes the typical threat from explosive devices to civilians, especially children, during and following an is essential to avoid the risks of efforts being duplicated, messages contradictory, Unless you have previous experience of armed conflict. It presents the different types of explosive and priority-setting poor. MRE this Handbook should be read in devices – landmines and explosive remnants of war, including full before planning an intervention. submunitions – as well as their impacts on individuals and Section G communities. Addresses staff security and safety. Remember, you can always consult with Section C Learning how to avoid accidents from the Landmines and Small Arms team Looks at how to set the “baseline” in an emergency through mines or ERW is the responsibility of each in UNICEF Headquarters for further the conduct of a needs and capacities assessment.