UNMAS in Western Sahara

The United Nations supports mine action in 40 countries and three territories. In some cases, UN services may be limited to one aspect of mine action—such as mine-risk education or victim assistance. In other places, the United Nations may be involved in every aspect of mine action, from clearing landmines to destroying stockpiled ones. The extent of the United Nations' involvement depends on the scope of the problem, the amount of assistance requested by national governments, and on any special circumstances, such as large-scale movement of refugee populations or the need to deliver relief supplies to isolated mine-affected communities.

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Western Sahara (MINURSO)

ABOUT UNMAS in Western Sahara

Both sides of the 1,465 km earthen berm that divides the Territory of Western Sahara remain contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) following 16 years of fighting between the Royal Moroccan Army (RMA) and Frente POLISARIO forces. These devices continue to endanger the lives of nomadic and local populations, refugees and the UN Military Observers (UNMOs), who monitor the ceasefire.

In July 2008, UNMAS established a mine action programme within MINURSO. This contributed to a sector-wide survey east of the berm and enabled the identification, marking and clearance of hundreds of dangerous areas posing risks to local, nomadic and refugee populations, United Nations personnel and other NGOs operating in the region.

UNMAS, in coordination with its implementing partners to the east of the berm, clears cluster strike areas and minefields and conducts route clearance and verification, thereby saving lives and facilitating the implementation of the Mission’s mandate. Additionally, UNMAS provides Landmine Safety Briefings to all military and civilian newcomers to MINURSO, Landmine Safety Refresher Trainings to UNMOs stationed at MINURSO Team Sites to both sides of the berm and Mine Risk Education (MRE) to local and nomadic populations.

IMPACT OF MINE ACTION IN WESTERN SAHARA

Through UNMAS interventions with its implementing partners, the Programme has facilitated humanitarian assistance, the work of the peacekeeping operations and the initiation of essential economic activities. UNMAS has a history of successfully delivering mine action initiatives to the east of the berm in Western Sahara, clearing over 39 million sqm of land and destroying thousands of landmines and ERW. MRE teams have also provided more than 30,000 beneficiaries (local, nomadic and refugee populations) with the skills and knowledge necessary to stay safe in environments, where landmines and ERW are present. Finally, as a result of UNMAS route verification efforts over the past year, UNMOs have been able to use over 200 km of routes that were believed to be contaminated with mines/ERW.

SUPPORT TO MINURSO

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• Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD): When UNMOs and/or civilians to the east of the berm find unexploded ordnance, an EOD qualified/accredited (demining) team is deployed to the area to safely destroy the item(s).

• Battle area clearance (BAC): Cluster strike areas endanger lives and block access to water sources. Some are also in close proximity to patrol routes used by UNMOs to the east of the berm. BAC is the primary method used to address these threats. Since July 2008, UNMAS has reduced the number of cluster strike areas by 80 per cent.

• Minefield Clearance: According to UN data, there are 43 known minefields which continue to pose a threat to the l

• UNMAS works in support of MINURSO wider protection and stabilization efforts by providing assistance in the following four areas:

• ives of UN personnel and local populations to the east of the berm. A total of 3 minefields have been addressed since 2012.

• Landmine/ERW Information Management: Landmine/ERW threat data is stored in the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). UNMAS provides landmine/ERW threat data used in GPS devices and in maps throughout MINURSO.

CHALLENGES

Contamination from landmines and ERW remains widespread in the Territory of Western Sahara. There is very limited information available regarding the location of hazardous areas – especially west of the berm. In 2008, a dangerous area survey was completed in five locations to the east of the berm by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). According to results of the survey, the Territory of Western Sahara is one of the most heavily contaminated territories in the world.

Inclement weather conditions also pose a challenge to mine/ERW clearance teams operating in the territory. Heavy winds, sandstorms along with high temperatures (up to 50 degrees Celsius) result in yearly, temporary cessations of mine action activities. Sandstorms and occasional rain also bury and reveal hazards on a regular basis.

Finally, due to the political status of Western Sahara, resource mobilization continues to be a significant challenge for the Programme.

FUNDING OVERVIEW

The UNMAS programme in Western Sahara is solely funded by the UN Assessed Budget. Activities covered by this funding include survey, manual and mechanical clearance, BAC, EOD and an Emergency Response Capacity to the east of the berm. UNMAS is seeking to further expand its capacity to address mine/ERW threats to the east of the berm through the following capacities:

• 2 BAC Teams (one year): US $1,021,000

• 1 Integrated Mine/ERW Clearance Team (one year): US $2,915,000

• Enhancing local mine action capacity to the east of the berm: US $258,583

• 5 x MRE Teams (one year): US $231,056

Updated May 2015

QUICK FIGURES

• Since 2008, a total of 39,081,258 square meters of hazardous areas have been cleared for productive use by local communities.

• 2014/2015 Demining Season: 2,268,223 sqm

• Approximately 8,000 kilometers of roads have been verified or cleared for use by UNMO patrols.

• 2014/2015 Demining Season: 134.8 km

• 6,522 anti-personnel mines and 1,110 anti-tank mines have been removed and destroyed.

• 2014/2015 Demining Season: 21 anti-tank mines; 3,000 anti-personnel mines

• 7,666 items of unexploded ordnance, 4,348 small arms ammunitions and 20,323 cluster bomb units have been removed and destroyed.

• 2014/2015 Demining Season: 20 items of unexploded ordnance, 42 items of small arms and ammunitions; 15 cluster bomb units

• Over 2,402 MINURSO personnel have received Landmine Safety Briefings and Landmine Safety Refresher training

• 2014/2015 Demining Season: 280 MINURSO personnel

• Over 30,000 beneficiaries (local populations, nomads and refugees) have received Mine Risk Education to the east of the berm and in refugee camps in Southern Algeria.

• - 2014/2015 Demining Season: 208 persons, incl. children received Mine Risk Education to the east of the berm and in refugee camps in southern Algeria