South East Europe Mine Action

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In the Balkans, Handicap International works to eradicate the risks related to the presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance in the region in cooperation with the national authorities responsible for mine clearance.

CONTEXT
During the Balkan conflicts in the 1990s, landmines were used massively by all belligerents. More than 3 million mines have been discovered since the end of the conflicts and more than 10,000 people have been victims of landmines in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania.

Despite the international community’s efforts since 1995 to eradicate this scourge, there is continued cause for concern in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and along many of the borders of the new countries that emerged from the break-up of former Yugoslavia. Based on the current pace at which mines are being cleared, unexploded ordnance defused and battlefields cleaned up, it will take more than a generation for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia to be declared mine free. However, we are hopeful that this scourge will be eradicated in the other countries over the next 5 years, if current efforts continue.

BACKGROUND
Handicap International has participated in mine clearance efforts in the Balkans since 1997. The operations undertaken involve all types of anti-mine action:

• prevention of accident by teaching the populations of the dangers of landmines in Bosnia-Herzegovina since1998
• mine clearance in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997-1999), Kosovo (1999-2003) and Macedonia (2002-2003)
• training of local bomb clearance experts in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1998-2002)
• support to a local mine clearance organization in Kosovo (2001-2003)
• Landmine Impact Survey in Bosnia-Herzegovina (2003)

In 2003, all our anti-mine actions in the Balkans were grouped together in a single programme, the South-East Europe Regional Mine Action Programme.

ACTIVITIES

1) Accident prevention activities
This project continues in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Handicap International provides the Ministry of Education with technical assistance in implementing an official accident prevention curriculum in all the country’s schools. It also offers technical support to associations involved in such prevention activities.

2) A mobile mine clearance team
The team is capable of operating in all of the region’s technically challenging sites and works wherever necessary.

3) Local capacity building activities
Mainly in Kosovo and Albania, through the training of civil defence troops.

BENEFICIARIES
The beneficiaries are all residents living in mined areas in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania.

PARTNERS
Kosovo: United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Office of Kosovo Protection Corps Coordinator (OKPCC).
Albania: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Albanian Mines Action Executive (AMAE).
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Ministry of Education, associations involved in the prevention of mine accidents, Bosnia-Herzegovina Mine Action Centre (BHMAC).

RESOURCES
The programme has a staff of around 90 people, 80 of which are national employees.

CONTACTS
Rr. Zagrebi Nr. 9
Prishtina
Kosovo,
UNMIK post.
Tel/Fax: + 381 38 238 106
E-mail: director@hiseermap.org