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JOINT MINE ACTION COORDINATION TEAM – LIBYA Weekly Report # 21 17 October 2011 Deadly Explosive Remnants of War in Libya Libya faces a significant Mine and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) threat following the recent conflict, there are serious humanitarian challenges due to a wide range of threats which include; Unexploded and Abandoned Ordnance; Landmines; Ammunitions Management; the use of Cluster Munitions and the high number of Small Arms and Light Weapons amongst the civilian population. These issues are an ongoing threat to the Libyan population as well as hindering lifesaving humanitarian aid reaching those in need. During this week the conflict has continued in the towns of Bani Walid and Sirte, fighting in these areas has been intensive with Revolutionary Forces pushing further forward. The resultant ERW contamination from the fighting continues to be a major threat to the populations that live in these areas. There has been increasing international concern over the large amount of ammunition that is freely accessible and in poor storage conditions that has the potential to be illegally proliferated to various terrorist groups present in the region. Ammunition has been found in residential areas in Tripoli and there are large unsecured ammunition stores in many other towns and cities in Libya, these unsecured storage areas are a danger to the civilian population who may come across these sites and there have been reports of civilians tampering with weaponry and even firing weapons at the munitions. The JMACT and its partners are working with the NTC in dealing with this issue, but further resources are urgently needed in order to deal with this immediate threat. Reports from the JMACT partners in Misrata confirmed that a 7 year old boy died in hospital earlier this week after suffering from injuries when the small munition he was playing with exploded, his brother was also injured during the incident. These instances of injuries and deaths from ERW continue to be reported, there are still issues with the data collection, due to the fact that many hospitals are unable to distinguish between those injured as a result of the conflict and those affected by ERW. The Joint Mine Action Coordination Team To present a coordinated mine action response to the ERW threat in Libya, the United Nations, International NGOs and the ICRC have partnered to form the Joint Mine Action Coordination Team (JMACT). The JMACT is working with its partners operating within Libya by providing coordination, prioritizing clearance tasks, mobilizing resources and liaising with the appropriate authorities and the international community active in Libya. The JMACT Headquarters is located in Tripoli. The JMACT has operational offices in Benghazi and Misrata as well as a logistics hub in Malta. Operations Update DanChurch Aid (DCA) DCA teams continued work along the Dafniya to Zliten road conducting visual searches of UXO and the team continues to work with the local power company in looking to clear the area around the power lines to enable repairs to the infrastructure to take place. © DCA © DCA DCA teams conducting a Route clearance and a stock of UXO collected by the Zliten Engineer Committee that DCA will assist in destroying DCA has met with a number of local farmers who have been asking for assistance as they have found UXO in their fields, following extensive rains last week there is concern that lots of the smaller items are being buried due to the rains – causing a severe danger to the farmers who will work these fields. The Zliten Engineer Committee has collected a large amount of UXO from around the city and they have met with DCA to discuss what to do with the items, they are currently stored securely in close proximity to the assigned demolition site and DCA will assist the Zliten Engineers in the destruction of the items Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) The FSD Team in Tobruk have completed the training for the alteration in clearance methodology following the change in environment in the areas needing clearance to ensure that clearance is thorough and safe. The team is working well with the new clearance system and a total of 526 items were removed and the team has now cleared a total area of 664,922m2. FSD is currently registering with the Misrata Local Council; once this process is complete the team will be able to begin training of the Battle Area Clearance teams that will work in a destroyed ammunition storage site near the airport. Handicap International (HI) The HI teams in Misrata are focusing their Risk Education (RE) efforts on children to increase their awareness of the dangers associated with ERW due to the fact that they are sadly involved in the vast majority of incidents and deaths caused by these indiscriminate weapons. The teams have visited local schools and have trained teachers and social workers in RE and provided them with materials that will allow them to spread this message in the schools and in the local community. © HI In working with the Libyan Scouts Association a number of RE sessions directed at children are being organized in the coming days, the team is also working with local media in further spreading this important message. The RE teams in Zliten have distributed RE leaflets and posters with the support of Zliten scouts ad are working with local radio and Children in Misrata being provided with television stations in spreading this lifesaving lifesaving Risk Education training warning them of the dangers s of ERW message throughout the area. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) The ICRC RE conducted presentations at a preparatory school for girls in Nalut in the Nafusa Mountains; the session was attended by 120 local school girls as well as the teaching and administrative staff. The ICRC conducted 30 spot clearance tasks throughout the Nafusa Mountains removing a total of 73 UXO including one anti-personnel mine and one large projectile found close to power lines and water pipes, the team also investigated a number of reports of unexploded ordnance where they have then found this to be scrap metal or practice items – it is key that these items are also removed so that people living in the areas feel safer. The ICRC clearance team in Brega has conducted a route assessment on the way to Projectile found in the Nafusa Mountains close to the Sirte to allow casualties to be evacuated safely; road and water and power infrastructure the team also removed three UXO from the side of the road. The team has also spoken to many locals in the Brega area to ascertain the locations of UXO, the team found and cleared three large UXO in the area, the removal of these items has drastically reduced the risk of injury or death from ERW of the local population. Mines Advisory Group (MAG) The MAG team continued its assessment of the road between Ajdabiya and the El Arbean fuel station. The team is concentrating on visual surface clearance of land 50 metres either side of the road to allow safe passage for local communities and internally displaced people. A total of 38 items of UXO and seven SAA items were found and moved for safe destruction later, indirectly benefiting 3,000 people using the road. © MAG The MAG team in Misrata has continued to visit house by house in residential areas in the city in an effort to clear any UXO found within the homes following the extensive shelling of the city. The team has found a lot of the houses are locked and it was not possible to enter. As many people return back to their houses MAG is working with Handicap International community liaison officers to visit the area and if any ERW items are found they can pass the information on to MAG to A Cluster munition found in Misrata by the MAG team respond. The MAG RE team in the Nafusa Mountains has moved into the Gharayan area and has spoken with hospital staff in the city to enable accident reports for Gharayan residents, the team has also continued work in Jadu and Zintan through the use of local radio where there are now plans to begin an RE talk show whilst training of more Community Liaison Officers continues, with an additional 21 trained to begin working in their communities. In total 88 flyers were distributed in the area this week and 131 RE colouring kits were given to children to educate them of the dangers of ERW that now litters their towns and villages. Statistics Statistic Total Number of Clearance Teams(generally consisting of a team leader, medic and a number of 10 ERW searchers) Number of Risk Education teams 25 Number of ERW cleared since April 2011 27,596 Number of direct beneficiaries of Risk 19,516 Educationsince April 2011 Number of ERW affected Schools 52 Clearedsince April 2011 Number of Houses Clearedsince April 2011 Upwards of 2500 Number of Internationals working in Libya 41 Number of National Staff 314 Challenges One of the major challenges being faced by the JMACT is a lack of funds to effectively coordinate the expanding operations, which are required in order to deal with the increasing scale of needs. As an interim measure UNMAS has secured a UN CERF Loan of $1.6 million dollars, to cover the cost of urgent humanitarian activities. However the need to secure further donor funding is pressing and UNMAS will continue to look to the international community for support. The conflict in Libya is continuing and as it evolves the threat of ERW to the population increases. Whilst much good work is underway with the support of the NTC, further RE and Clearance teams are urgently required in order to reduce the threat caused by ERW to the civilian population Following the destruction and abandonment of many of the Ammunition Storage Areas, the civilian population has had free and easy access to various munitions and weapons; this problem is compounded by the vast amounts of uncontrolled ammunition that has been found in cities including Tripoli.