No: 3 E- Newsletter April 2010

Foreword Foreword Siraj Barzani *

fter months of heated debate, the A Parliament of the Kurdistan Region endorsed the 2010 budget for the Kurdistan Region of on Tuesday 13 April 2010. The budget was approved by the President of the Kurdistan Region on 19 April 2010 and the Kurdistan Regional Gov- ernment is now tasked with implementing it. In so far as Mine Action is concerned, this Destruction of 91 UXO items and 34 mines in a demolition pit near Darusalam. year, similarly to all other budgets from 2004 up till now, the two and Sulaimanyah IKMAA Erbil Directorate of Implementation administrations of the KRG have submitted two separate budgets. However, of interest in this year’s budget law, is the existence of a marks the international Day for Mine Awareness clause requiring the Regional Government to merge the two Mine Action administrations and Assistance in Mine Action of KRG before June 30, 2010. Rafaat Babaker * Mine Action in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq despite its resounding success in ridding the n April 4, in the presence of Head of Iraqi items effectively and safely, all participants took Region from mines and ERW, has greatly O Kurdistan Mine Action Agency, Direc- part in a ceremony organized by IKMAA to com- suffered from the administrative rift in its tor General of Technical Affairs, mayor of memorate April 4. Mr. Siraj Barzani delivered a structure ever since the early 2000s. Should Rawanduz, local authorities and mass media, the speech shedding light on IKMAA activities .On the planned merger go ahead as planned, IKMAA EOD team carried out demolition of a the same occasion five cleared mine fields totaling Mine Action officials on the two sides will large number of UXO and Mines of various types. 217,000 sqm located in were face a tremendous challenge removing all In March 2010, 91 UXOs, 33 AP mines and 1 AT handed over to their owners. 183 AP mines were technical, administrative and financial dis- mine had been found and removed by EOD team destroyed during the clearance operation. parities which currently exist between the to the demolition pit located in Darusalam village, two administrations. Choman District of the Erbil Governorate. Having Director / director of Implementation- Erbil /IKMAA There is great hope that the unification proc- completed the destruction of the above mentioned [email protected] ess will bring into life “the law of the Mine Action Agency of the Kurdistan Region” endorsed by the Parliament and approved by the President in 2007. This law remains the greatest achievement for Mine Action in the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assist- Kurdistan Region of Iraq obtained through the joint work and lobbing of the two Erbil ance in Mine Action commemorated in and Sulaimanyah administrations of Mine Action back in 2007. Owenan Yousif* The coming into force of this law will result in the creation of one of the biggest and most nder the auspices of the Kurdistan Regional active indigenous Mine Action programs in U Government (KRG) Mine the world. We greatly hope that these posi- Action Agency (IKMAA) Directorate of Im- tive developments here in the Kurdistan Re- plementation in Duhok and Mine Advisory Group gion will provide fresh encouragement to (MAG) marked the anniversary by handing over our capital Baghdad for furthering Iraq’s four cleared minefields to their owners. national Mine Action institution building Cleared minefields are located in Bamerni, Ser- process through working for the adoption of sink, Mangish and Zawita sub-districts. A total of a national law as soon as the new national 92,107 m2 of agricultural and grazing land was administration takes over following last cleared and 117 various Anti-personnel mines and A landowner singning official handover document month’s elections. 3 UXO were destroyed. A variety of clearance equipments were displayed in the event which • Director / Directorate of Implementation - Duhok / IKMAA * Head of IKMAA was extensively covered by the media. [email protected]

[email protected] No: 3 E- Newsletter April 2010 2 Activities of IKMAA MRE Directorate in commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action Ako Aziz Hamad*

A seminar for journalists in Soran Distirct. KMAA MRE directorate in coordina- February 2010 were provided to attendees. casion to IKMAA as well to launch its first I tion with the Kurdistan Journalists Syn- Moreover, the crucial role of mass media to risk awareness TV Program called (Mine dicate / Soran branch organized a semi- educate and sensitize communities on the and Life). This program was broadcast on nar for 60 journalists of Soran and Choman mine/UXO risk was emphasized. the Kurdish Newroz Satellite Channel on districts. In the seminar the significance of Also in commemoration of this day many the evening of 4th of April. The program April 4th as an international day was high- seminars were organized by IKMAA Mine is entirely prepared by the staff of the IK- lighted, the mine and UXO contamination Risk Education teams in Soran involving MAA MRE Directorate and will continue and its impact on Kurdistan communities the students of higher institutes and col- being broadcast on the same channel on a was thoroughly explained together with the leges of Soran University on the 6th and monthly basis. victims issue backed by detailed data. Then the 7th of April. * Director / Directorate of Mine Risk Education / IKMAA IKMAA achievements from 2005 till end of The international day provided the right oc- [email protected] Mine Victims in Spring Season

Ako Aziz Hamad*

uring the 8 years of fighting between Iraq two different villages near the city of Sulaim- D and Iran, the borderline starting from anyah. In addition to collecting herbs, there was South East of the Kurdistan Region and one accident caused by animal grazing, which extending to the North West was heavily mined happened to Dyar Qania Qadir, aged 30 on 18/ to the depth of 5 to 10 km and to date the mines 03/2010 in Boryar village/Penjwen district. and UXO threaten the communities in this re- As MRE directorate of IKMAA we can high- gion light the reasons of the above accidents as be- In the spring season, people from rural commu- low: nities are used to go to picnic and collect herbs 1- Ignorance of mine awareness messages. especially in the weekends and in mountain- 2- Most of the minefields in the mountainous ous areas which are mostly located close to the areas cannot be recognized because no mine border. Such traditional activities attract mostly warning signs are placed due to difficulty of ac- Habiba Ahmed Saeed and her daughter Kazhen Hasan girls and women because it is most suited with cess to them. their nature and they enjoy it. And in the so- Details are shown below: 3- The mine signs of the former demarcated cial side women in rural communities are more - On April 2, 2010, Zozan Dasko, aged 43 was minefields have been removed by local people. encouraged to work besides their husbands injured in Qalander Mountain in Soran area. 4- In some steep areas mines have migrated or other members of their family. The female - On April 13, 2010, Habiba Ahmed Saeed, down because of the weather factor contami- members of the family traditionally participate aged 38 and her daughter Kazhen Hasan Baper nating safe areas. in family life and conduct all types of work to aged 8, were slightly injured in a mined area 5- In some areas local villagers (unprofessional improve economy of the family and improve called Hawezi Bar bere in Choman area. deminers) have cleared minefields and people their livelihood. So far this year, 24 mine ac- - On April 18, 2010 Nafesa Esa Ibrahim, aged have used them for different purposes. Acci- cidents have been reported in the Kurdistan re- 40, was injured in Choman area dents have occurred due to clearance process gion many of them involving female members - On 3rd of April, in Sulaimanyah governorate not meeting IKMAA and international stand- of the Kurdish families. and in Alanqoz village two men were injured ards. In April alone, in Erbil governorate, as a result while they were cultivating their land. of collecting herbs, four women and girls have - And in March as a result of collecting herbs * Director / Directorate of Mine Risk Education / IKMAA so far been injured by AP mines in Soran area. one woman died and one man was injured in [email protected]

The Deminer Post staff: Siraj Barzani Ako Aziz Hamad Akar Jalil Head of IKMAA MRE Director Graphic Designer