SUMMARY OF THIS MONTH'S ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS
Clearance and verification of 273,581 square metres and 447 cubic metres of land using a toolbox approach, including visual clearance, electronic detectors, mechanical processing, and mine detection dogs. This tally includes Battle Area Clearance of areas in southern Lebanon affected primarily by cluster submunitions, as well as mine clearance in the Chouf region of central Lebanon.
Removal and destruction of 477 hazardous remnants of conflict [1] - 375 sub-munitions and 102 items of unexploded ordnance.
BATTLE AREA CLEARANCE AND EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL
The continued focus of clearance for this month has moved towards clearance of agricultural and pastoral areas for the recovery of livelihoods.
MAG worked in the following areas and achieved the following outputs from 1st October to 31st October 2008:
- Area 6: 16 Battle Area Clearance teams and the mechanical team continue to operate. They worked in eight villages: Yohmor, Zrarieh, Aadchit, Sejoud, Arab Salem, Kafar Sir, Aadchit, and Kafar Tibnit. These teams have used visual and electronic methods of clearance, clearing an area of 269,898 square metres and 447 cubic metres. Remnants of conflict were found and destroyed.
All teams are contributing to the social and economic recovery and development of South Lebanon through the safe, efficient, and effective clearance of remnants of conflict.
MINE CLEARANCE
The mine clearance and mine dog detection teams returned to the Chouf region during the month of October, and worked at three minefield sites in the villages of Jleliye and Mtolleh. 3,683 square metres were cleared or verified this month by the mine clearance and mine dog detection teams.
COMMUNITY LIAISON (CL)
All Contact Officers have continued to undertake community liaison activities at the pre-clearance, clearance, and post-clearance stages.
There were 210 activities during the month, including 22 data collection activities [2], 55 liaison activities, six site handovers, 10 UXO reports, and 98 other activities that support clearance work by providing control point locations and storage areas, securing land owner's approval for using their house/fields for clearance activities, liaison with local authorities, and emphasising public safety messages to communities undergoing clearance.
Notes:
1. MAG uses the term remnants of conflict to describe all items recovered and destroyed as part of its humanitarian disarmament activities, which include anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, explosive remnants of war (ERW), abandoned and unexploded ordnance (UXO), and small arms and light weapons (SALW).
2. Data collection includes population, socio-economic data, village services and beneficiary details. If the teams discover a minefield/dangerous area then information is collected specific to the dangerous area/minefield in addition to the general information form.
MAG's Lebanon programme is currently funded by: Adopt A Minefield; DFID; European Commission; German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
To download the full October report in pdf format go to: www.maginternational.org/reports/.
For more information on MAG's work around the world, please visit www.maginternational.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
