SUMMARY:
- Ongoing operations in support of IDP returns in northern Sri Lanka and clearance in support of sustainable livelihoods in the east
- General Mine Action Assessment (GMAA) undertaken in 8 villages in Mannar District, in support of the planned return of 136 families displaced by conflict
- Over 6 sq/km released for returns through this GMAA process alone
- Technical survey of 8,150 sq/m in Mannar using mechanical assets following transportation of a Bozena-4 flail from the east to the north early in the month
- 1 Anti-tank mine, 5 anti-personnel mines and 5 unexploded ordnance (UXO) uncovered in Mannar
- Search and clearance of a total of 12,093 sq/m of land through a combination of manual and mechanical techniques in Batticaloa District, with the removal of 12 anti-personnel mines and 2 items of UXO
The focus during the reporting period was increased GMAA and technical survey in northern Sri Lanka, in support of IDP returns planned in the region. Following the formal end to the conflict in the country in late May, the focus is clearly now on enabling returns to take place as quickly as possible through an effective process of land release through survey and clearance. Clearance teams continued to be deployed in the eastern district of Batticaloa, thereby contributing to the post-conflict development of the region, supporting the peace-building process and encouraging economic regeneration through access to land for sustainable livelihoods.
ACTIVITIES
Northern Sri Lanka:
Following the formal end to the conflict in Sri Lanka in late May, over 285,000 IDPs from across the north are currently accommodated in camps, primarily in Vavuniya District (UNOCHA). The Government of Sri Lanka has stated that it plans to resettle 80 per cent of the IDPs to their home areas by the end of 2009. The Government and UNHCR have stated that mine action survey and clearance is a prerequisite of this returns process.
MAG is currently working in support of this initiative by undertaking survey and clearance in support of return of IDPs to Mannar District. General Mine Action Assessment (GMAA) was undertaken in 8 villages in Mannar District during May in support of the planned return of 136 families displaced by conflict. Over 6 sq/km was released over the course of the month for returns through this GMAA process alone.
Following the approval of the Embassy of Japan, who fund the mechanical unit component of the programme, one of the Bozena-4 machines was transported from Batticaloa to Mannar early in May. The machine is now forming a vital part of MAG's technical survey capacity in the north. MAG plans to expand this mechanical capacity to meet increasing needs for technical survey over the coming months.
Activities are being coordinated with a range of stakeholders, including the Government of Sri Lanka, UN agencies, and other local and international organisations. MAG is now actively seeking funding to expand capacity and deployment in the north for emergency mine action survey and clearance.
Eastern Sri Lanka:
All operational activities in the east continued to be undertaken from the base in Batticaloa. During May, the teams continued working on a large task area in Kajuwatta North, in the north of Batticaloa District.
The Japanese Government continued to support the programme by funding the mechanical clearance component. One Bozena-B4 mechanical flail was deployed in an integrated fashion with the manual clearance team undertaking ground preparation and verification of low risk areas within clearance tasks throughout May, the other flail having been moved to Mannar early in the month. During this period the Bozena team completed 8,940 sq/m. A total of 12 anti-personnel mines and 2 items of UXO were cleared by the manual and mechanical teams in Batticaloa District.
MAG would like to express its gratitude and sincere thanks to the following donors who supported the Sri Lanka programme during the reporting period: Actiefonds Mijnen Ruimen (AMR); Embassy of Japan, Colombo; Stichting Vluchteling; Hurvis Foundation; Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust; Rowan Trust.
For more information on this or any of MAG's programmes across the world please visit www.maginternational.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Internally displaced children, who fled a military offensive in the Swat valley region, fight over bread near a food distribution centre at the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Jalozai ...
