Key
developments since May 2000: In the year 2000, an average of about 88 mine
and UXO casualties per month were recorded, a sharp decline from recorded
casualties in 1999. In 2000, mine action organizations marked and mapped about
126 million square meters of mine and UXO contaminated land, and cleared about
104 million square meters of mine and UXO contaminated land. A total of 13,542
antipersonnel mines, 636 antitank mines and 298,828 UXO were destroyed during
these clearance operations. Mine awareness organizations provided formal mine
awareness training to more than one million people. MAPA experienced a severe
shortage of funds in 2000 and as a result could not achieve its operational
targets for the year and had to lay off five manual mine clearance teams, two
technical survey teams and two international experts. Mine action operations
were suspended in Badghais and Faryab provinces after seven mine awareness
workers were killed in August 2000. The Taliban and their opposition, the
Northern Alliance, have accused each other of laying new landmines. The
Northern Alliance denied use to Landmine Monitor, but admitted to an EU mission
that they continued to use antipersonnel mines.
Afghanistan remains a non-signatory to the Mine Ban
Treaty. The two main opposing forces are the Taliban, which controls nearly all
of Afghanistan but has little official recognition internationally, and the
Northern Alliance, led by Burhanuddin Rabbani, whose government was ousted by
the Taliban in 1996.
In 1998, a national ban on antipersonnel mines was
imposed by a decree of the Taliban Supreme Leader. The Head of Operations and
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense of the Taliban, Mawlavi Agha Mohammad
Faizan, told Landmine Monitor, “We have committed ourselves to the
complete implementation of the decree of Amir-ul-Momineen (the Taliban Supreme
Leader) on
landmines.”[310] The
Taliban Ministry of Culture and Information regularly releases information in
the official media and has arranged special broadcasts on the Taliban-run radio
Shariat (formerly radio Kabul)regarding the landmine problem in order to
support the full implementation of the 1998 decree. The Taliban’s
Minister of Culture and Information, Qudratullah Jamal, told Landmine Monitor,
“All the concerned authorities and the common people of the country have
been repeatedly informed [about the decree] and have been requested to cooperate
with concerned authorities in the elimination of the landmine problem according
to the decree.”[311] He
added, “We also urge all landmine producing countries to stop the
production, stockpiling and use of landmines and do not sell or provide them to
others.”
The Afghan Campaign to Ban Landmines (ACBL) met with
Burhanuddin Rabbani, the head of the Northern Alliance, in early May 2001 and
provided him with a comprehensive update on the landmine problem in Afghanistan.
While not making a clear statement of mine ban policy, he denied any recent use
of antipersonnel mines.[312] At
the end of the meeting, a written request by the ACBL calling on the Northern
Alliance to issue a policy statement supporting the ban on landmines at the
national level was submitted to Professor Rabbani and he promised to consider it
for necessary action.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling
Except for improvised explosive devices, there is
no evidence of antipersonnel mine production in Afghanistan, and Taliban
officials confirmed this to Landmine
Monitor.[313]
The Taliban,
through their decree of 1998, have denounced import and export of mines and are
believed to be implementing the decree. Taliban officials told Landmine Monitor
that they have asked United Nations authorities to urge Iran and Russia to stop
sending landmines to the
opposition.[314] The Program
Manager of the Mine Action Program for Afghanistan (MAPA), Richard Daniel Kelly,
told Landmine Monitor that the MAPA had received a formal complaint from the
Taliban accusing the Northern Alliance of importing and laying mines, and the
complaint was forwarded to the
UN.[315] Landmine Monitor has
not received any concrete evidence of transfers of antipersonnel mines to the
Northern Alliance in this reporting period.
The Taliban have stated that they
are not maintaining any stockpiles of antipersonnel mines: “We do not
store any landmines and we do not need them because they are against human
beings and the holy religion of
Islam.”[316] One mine
action agency sought to acquire 1,000 different types of live antipersonnel
mines for an evaluation of the training of dogs in detecting mines, but each
government and army representative it approached to obtain the mines denied that
they held any, or if they did, refused to provide them; all cited the Taliban
decree banning antipersonnel mines as the
reason.[317] When the MAPA
Program Manager met with the Taliban Minister of Defense, the Minister refused
the request for mines and reportedly said, “This [keeping mines] is not
permitted in
Islam.”[318]
The
Taliban’s defense spokesperson told Landmine Monitor, “If we capture
any [large quantities of] landmines...during fighting or from the stores of the
opposition forces, we will destroy them under the supervision of ACBL and the
United
Nations.”[319]
No
destruction of stockpiled mines took place during the year 2000. In order to
ensure any possible destruction of stockpiled landmines in future, MAPA has
offered to assist both the Taliban and the Northern Alliance in the safe
transportation and destruction of stockpiled mines and unexploded ordnance
(UXO). Neither side has taken up this offer yet.[320]
Use
Most of the mines were laid in Afghanistan during
the Soviet occupation and the subsequent communist regime between 1980-1992.
Mines were also used in the internal fighting among various armed groups from
1992 to 1996, particularly in Kabul city and its outskirts.
The extent of
new mining throughout the country was investigated in 1998 and again in late
1999 by the MAPA and, while a concern, is reported not to be
substantial.[321] It is
difficult, however, to obtain a clear picture of new mine use as the frontline
areas are inaccessible to Landmine Monitor.
Both Taliban and the Northern
Alliance have accused each other of laying new mines in the frontline areas.
Representatives of both the Taliban and the Northern Alliance denied the use of
any landmines in interviews with Landmine
Monitor.[322] When the Afghan
Campaign to Ban Landmines met with Burhanuddin Rabbani in early May 2001, he
said, “No. We have not used any mines. These are Taliban who are using
mines that injure our
people.”[323] However,
Ambassador Peter Tejler of Sweden told reporters on the return of an European
Union (EU) mission from Afghanistan, “Northern Alliance leaders admitted
that they lay landmines even
now.”[324]The
Taliban also reported heavy landmine casualties to their forces during the
takeover of Taloqan city from the Northern Alliance in September
2000.[325]
The Minister for
National Security of the Northern Alliance, General Fahim, accused the Taliban
of laying three belts of landmines in a long line in the areas of Hazar Bagh,
Khawaja Ghar, Sia Sabz, and in the frontline of Khinjan and
Andarab.[326]
Landmine
Monitor has also received a number of unconfirmed reports of recent casualties
caused by butterfly (PFM) antipersonnel mines reportedly deployed by Russia on
the Afghan side of the Afghan-Tajik border. Local residents told Landmine
Monitor that the area was not mine-affected in the past as there had been no
conflict in the area, but there have been several recent casualties caused by
PFM mines.[327]
Landmine Problem
Despite remarkable and continued progress made by
MAPA over the past decade, Afghanistan is still believed to be one of the most
severely mine- and UXO-affected countries in the world. The current known
contaminated area is estimated to total approximately 724 million square meters.
Of this some 344 million square meters is classified as high priority land.
There are areas of the country that are still not accessible and the full extent
of the landmine problem in Afghanistan is yet to be
determined.[328] Mined areas
are still being discovered at a rate of 12 to 14 million square meters per year.
These areas were mined years ago, but are discovered by MAPA as different parts
of the country become more accessible.One assessment indicates that if
the remaining 344 million square meters of highly impacted mined areas were
demined, most Afghans could resume a normal and productive life; this is
estimated to take between seven and ten years if current funding levels for mine
clearance are maintained.[329]
The following table summarizes the overall landmine situation in Afghanistan
as of December 2000.
Landmine Problem in Afghanistan (as of December
2000)[330]
Area
Agriculture
Residential
Irrigation
Road
Grazing
Total
(area in sqm)
Total mined area cleared, all high priority
90,944,000
28,203,000
8,025,000
28,393,000
68,736,000
224,301,000
High priority area remaining to be cleared
157,437,000
13,770,000
3,224,000
32,093,000
137,958,000
344,482,000
Low priority area remaining to be cleared
26,243,000
126,000
582,000
7,440,000
344,677,000
379,068,000
Total mined area remaining to be cleared
183,680,000
13,896,000
3,806,000
39,533,000
482,635,000
723,550,000
Survey and Assessment
Three main types of landmine surveys are currently
undertaken in Afghanistan including general survey of mine contaminated areas,
technical survey of minefields, and socio-economic impact survey of landmines
and mine action operations.
As of December 2000, general survey of
approximately 947 million square meters of mined areas had been completed since
the start of survey operations in 1990. In addition, technical survey of about
296 million square meters of minefields and more than 348 million square meters
of former battle areas had been
completed.[331]
The Mine
Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA) and Hazardous Area Life Support Organization
(HALO Trust) are the two organizations that undertake survey activities in
Afghanistan. MCPA’s survey data is used by all clearance agencies except
HALO, which conducts survey operations for its own clearance teams. In the year
2000, MCPA and HALO Trust identified, marked and mapped more than 32 million
square meters of minefields and about 94 million square meters of former battle
areas.[332] Updated information
on these two agencies follows.
Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA). MCPA
conducts survey operations all over Afghanistan, with its head office in Kabul
and offices in Gardez, Kandahar, Jalalabad and Herat. MCPA employs 309 people.
Its technical survey teams are supported by mine detection dogs from the Mine
Detection Dog Center (MDC). Each MCPA survey team consists of four surveyors
and a team leader, with one surveyor or team leader trained in first aid. In
2000, MCPA operated with 33 survey teams and identified, marked and mapped about
27 million square meters of mine contaminated area and about 32 million square
meters of former battle area contaminated by UXO. MCPA is also involved in the
development and maintenance of a comprehensive computerized management
information system (MIS) for MAPA. It serves as the coordinating agency for the
Afghan Campaign to Ban Landmines (ACBL).
HALO Trust. In addition to
clearance, HALO undertakes survey operations for its own clearance teams in the
central and northern provinces of the country. HALO’s survey teams
consist of 10 members each, with one member acting as the team leader. In 2000,
HALO operated with five survey teams and identified, marked and mapped about 5
million square meters of mine contaminated area and about 62 million square
meters of former battle area contaminated by UXO.
In May 2000, the Survey
Action Center (SAC) conducted an advanced survey mission to Afghanistan to
examine the feasibility of retrofitting existing data into the Landmine Impact
Survey module. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA) has sent a letter of intent to SAC requesting
implementation of a landmine impact survey in Afghanistan. Planning is underway
for the survey, which will be implemented by MCPA, as soon as financial
resources are made
available.[333] The survey will
give priority to covering the northern areas of the country where the landmine
situation is not well known. The survey is being coordinated with concerned
authorities of the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, donors and other concerned
organizations.[334]
The
Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) is engaged in the
task of migrating existing data from MAPA’s Management Information System
mine action database to the Information Management System for Mine Action
(IMSMA). This task will be done in several stages and it is estimated that it
will take about 18 months. A number of modifications are required in order to
make the data compatible.
Mine Action Funding
Mine action operations are funded by various donor
countries through the Afghan Emergency Trust Fund (AETF), which channels funds
through the UNOCHA to the Mine Action Program for Afghanistan. Some donors also
provide direct funding to NGOs and some provide in-kind contributions. Funding
requests for the MAPA are included in the annual consolidated funding appeal for
the United Nations programs in Afghanistan.
MAPA received approximately
US$172.8 million in funds from 1991 through 2000. In 2000, MAPA experienced a
severe funding shortfall. While the program budget for 2000 was $26.3 million,
only $17 million was received. As a result, MAPA had to decrease its operations
by 50 percent in the last quarter of 2000. Special funds provided by Austria
and Germany allowed the survey and mine detecting dog teams to be quickly
reinstated.[335] Because of the
shortage, MAPA was able to achieve only 64 percent of its mine clearance target
for the year, 68 percent of the mine awareness target, and 98 percent of the
technical survey target.
The $17 million in funding for 2000 represented a
drastic decrease from $22 million in 1999, which in turn had fallen greatly from
$27 million in 1998, the highest level achieved in the program’s
history.
The MAPA Program Manager, the Head of Administration and Finance at
UNOCHA and the directors of a number of Afghan mine action agencies interviewed
by Landmine Monitor all had common views on the reasons for the reduction in
funding and common strategies for securing funds for the program in future. The
main reasons for the drop in funding were believed to be an increased demand for
mine action funds globally, other humanitarian emergencies in the country such
as the drought and, to some extent, the ongoing political situation in the
country. There is a fear that if the funding crisis continues, it will result
in the loss of human resources and experience that have developed over a long
period of time.[336]
MAPA
and its implementing NGOs have taken a number of measures to reduce the impact
of the decreased funding on operations. These measures include removal of
redundant staff, a freeze on hiring of national and international staff,
additional sharing of facilities, a freeze on salary increments, no promotion
with pay increase and reduction of operational teams as
required.[337] MAPA’s
Program Manager told Landmine Monitor that, “while main funding channel
for MAPA will remain the UN consolidated appeal, we are also looking for
non-traditional donors. For instance, we have had, so far, three meetings with
concerned officials of the Organization of the Islamic Countries (OIC) and a
meeting with Muslim World
League.”[338] He said
that MAPA has also been in contact with the concerned officials of the
Taliban’s Office for Disaster Preparedness (ODP), which is investigating
the possibility of providing facilities and explosives to mine action operations
in Afghanistan either free of charge or with a nominal fee. MAPA has also
proposed the establishment of a steering committee of donors to coordinate
contributions to the AETF, direct funding to NGOs, bilateral support, and
in-kind contributions for mine action in
Afghanistan.[339]
In
addition to the funding shortage, some mine action NGOs told Landmine Monitor of
difficulties experienced by the very late delivery of granted funds, leading to
increased cash flow problems over the past two
years.[340] However, the Head of
Administration and Finance of UNOCHA told Landmine Monitor that the problem was
due to technical reasons, which have been resolved now, and he hoped there would
be no more delays in the
future[341].
The table on the
following page summarizes funding for mine action in Afghanistan from 1991
through 2000.
Mine Action Planning and Coordination
The Mine Action Program for Afghanistan (MAPA) is
coordinated by the Mine Action Center for Afghanistan
(MACA).[342] MAPA is comprised
of the UN Mine Action Center for Afghanistan (MACA), temporary located in
Islamabad (Pakistan), five UN Regional Mine Action Centers (RMAC), all located
inside Afghanistan, and fifteen implementing partners or NGOs. The RMAC’s
are responsible for the field level management, coordination and oversight of
mine action activities in their respective
regions.[343]
Annual
national and regional mine action plans are prepared by MACA and its RMAC with
input from all mine action NGOs and in consultation with UN agencies, other
concerned NGOs, local communities and concerned government bodies such as Office
for Disaster Preparedness (ODP) and the Department for Mine Clearance (DMC).
Other factors considered in the planning process include the prevailing security
situation, availability of surveyed area in need of clearance, climatic
conditions, mine and UXO casualty data and socio-economic impact. Once national
and regional plans are developed, specific tasks are then allocated to mine
action teams from the implementing partners under the direction of the MACA
overseen by the RMACs. In order to prioritize requests for survey and clearance
of mine contaminated areas, MAPA uses a comprehensive priority system. In 2001,
through closer interaction with other UN programs and consideration of
socio-economic impact of landmines, the prioritization system will be improved
to be more responsive and accurate.
Since it started in 1989, MAPA has
expanded from a few hundred deminers assisted by a dozen foreign experts to a
workforce of some 4,900 Afghans and fewer than ten expatriates. It continues to
be one of the largest, most efficient and cost-effective mine action programs in
the world. As of January 2001, there were 31 technical survey teams, 114
clearance teams (manual, mechanical, EOD/bomb disposal and mine detecting dog),
11 training and monitoring teams, 10 mine awareness projects and a range of
management, technical and support services.
Details of funds received by MAPA from 1991 through 2000 in US$
[35]
Country
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
TOTAL
$ brought forward
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4,817,433
3,890,841
2,749,931
11,458,205
Australia
0
658,868
138,279
274,800
306,000
293,600
748,370
335,550
0
298,400
3,053,867
Austria
0
180,000
0
315,725
159,982
203,030
16,667
90,000
127,992
200,000
1,293,396
Belgium
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
273,224
0
0
273,224
Canada
0
0
562,559
716,874
355,540
737,419
777,940
705,938
659,659
672,261
5,188,190
EC
0
0
0
0
2,785,321
5,077,730
3,624,437
3,027,613
2,634,534
0
17,149,635
Cyprus
0
0
0
0
10,000
0
0
0
0
0
10,000
Denmark
0
400,000
0
202,823
900,000
900,000
598,802
729,639
347,502
656,916
4,735,682
Finland
235,294
227,635
175,991
756,559
242,825
423,191
380,952
490,081
512,540
428,578
3,873,646
France
0
0
0
0
0
0
169,779
0
100,000
0
269,779
Germany
0
0
0
0
374,232
2,388,041
2,000,000
2,373,000
2,500,000
1,700,000
11,335,273
Greece
0
16,365
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
16,365
Italy
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
100,000
0
100,000
Japan
5,000,000
2,000,000
2,000,000
0
2,000,000
0
1,000,000
300,268
1,300,000
0
13,600,268
Korea
0
0
75,000
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
75,000
Netherlands
0
586,281
780,457
341,591
789,345
1,363,527
2,530,993
1,482,945
1,454,525
2,749,740
12,079,404
Norway
765,004
1,126,877
1,819,103
631,606
562,375
886,163
1,508,107
2,398,649
1,477,044
615,474
11,790,402
Sweden
894,457
872,600
1,148,494
1,894,524
2,218,743
2,535,812
2,500,000
2,283,180
2,510,488
1,875,742
18,734,040
Switzerland
0
0
709,220
0
344,828
344,828
0
135,135
0
0
1,534,011
UK
904,350
954,350
1,494,000
1,085,840
1,970,728
1,183,088
1,209,678
3,346,000
979,800
2,694,840
15,822,674
USA
123,000
1,105,023
1,500,000
3,227,405
2,564,089
1,308,507
2,000,000
1,073,442
3,021,000
1,900,000
17,822,466
USA/UNA
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
56,667
438,795
495,462
Direct/ in kind Contribution
0
2,955,000
6,972,428
7,521,244
0
115,328
1,111,111
3,121,990
315,147
0
22,112,248
Total
7,922,106
11,082,999
17,375,531
16,967,991
15,584,008
17,760,264
20,178,833
26,986,085
21,989,738
16,982,677
172,823,237
Mine Clearance
Eight organizations are currently engaged in mine
and UXO clearance in Afghanistan. All these organizations, except the head
office of Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), are now based in Afghanistan with
small offices in Pakistan for logistics support. ATC’s operational staff
is all based inside Afghanistan while the head office is in the process of
moving to Afghanistan.
From 1990 through 2000, over 224 million square
meters of mined area and about 320 million square meters of former battle areas
were cleared of mines and UXO. In the same period 215,908 antipersonnel mines,
9,897 antitank mines, and 1,305,558 different types of UXO were detected and
subsequently destroyed.[36]
In 2000, mine clearance organizations cleared more than 24 million square
meters of mined area and about 80 million square meters of former battle areas.
A total of 13,542 antipersonnel mines, 636 antitank mines, and 298,828 UXO were
destroyed during these clearance
operations.[37]
Afghan
Technical Consultants (ATC). ATC, established in 1989, is the oldest and
the largest mine action NGO in Afghanistan. It has 1,299 employees. ATC mainly
operates in the central and eastern regions of the country, with its head office
in Peshawar (Pakistan) and offices in Gardez, Kandahar and Jalalabad. ATC teams
are also deployed to other regions as required. Several ATC field offices move
from location to location depending on the season. In 2000, ATC operated with
21 manual clearance teams, six battle area clearance teams, four mechanical mine
clearance teams and four Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams and cleared
more than 4.2 million square meters of mine contaminated area and approximately
20 million square meters of former battle area contaminated by UXO. During
these clearance operations 2,748 AP mines, 43 AT mines and 66,406 UXO were
destroyed. Its 2000 budget was $7.6 million but it only received approximately
$4.6 million, due to the funding shortage.
Agency for Rehabilitation and
Energy Conservation in Afghanistan (AREA). One of the AREA’s projects
is community based mine clearance in Sorkhrod and Khogiani districts of
Nangarhar province, in the eastern part of the country. AREA employees 114
people, in three demining teams. In the year 2000, AREA cleared 131,500 square
meters of mine contaminated area and destroyed 26 AP mine and 89 UXOs. Its
budget for 2000 was approximately $145,000.
Danish Demining Group
(DDG). DDG operates with three manual mine clearance teams in central
region, with its head office in Kabul. It has 108 staff. In the year 2000, DDG
cleared about 59,500 square meters of mine contaminated area and destroyed one
AT mine, 139 AP mines and 502 UXOs. DDG’s budget for 2000 was
approximately $1.5 million.
Demining Agency For Afghanistan (DAFA).
DAFA conducts mine and UXO clearance mainly in the southern and western regions
of the country, with its head office located in Kandahar. It employs about 690
people. In 2000, DAFA operated with 11 manual clearance teams, four battle area
clearance teams, and three mechanical mine clearance teams and cleared about 2.8
million square meters of mined contaminated area. During these clearance
operations, 1,526 AP mines, 16 AT mines and 2,262 UXO were destroyed. Its
budget for 2000 was $4.3 million but it only received approximately $2.2
million, due to the funding shortage.
HALO Trust. HALO has been
operational in Afghanistan since 1988. It now works in seven provinces in
central and northern Afghanistan. HALO employs more than 1,180 Afghan staff.
In 2000, HALO operated with 31 manual clearance teams (662 demining lanes
working one man one lane), five battle area clearance/EOD teams with ten members
in each, 11 mechanical mine clearance teams with eight members in each, and five
survey teams with ten members each. Mechanical clearance teams are based around
armored front end loaders which utilize an excavation and raking technique to
clear technically difficult antipersonnel
minefields.[38] HALO’s
large-scale clearance operations are supported by survey and mine awareness
teams. In 2000, HALO cleared 4.1 million square meters of mine contaminated
area and 62.7 million square meters of former battle area contaminated by UXO,
and destroyed 7,053 AP mines, 152 AT mines and 182,524 UXO. The HALO’s
budget for 2000 was approximately $3 million dollars. Its main donors were the
US, ECHO, the Netherlands and a private donor. In addition to clearance, HALO
Trust undertakes survey activities.
Mine Detection Dog Center (MDC).
MDC conducts mine and UXO clearance throughout Afghanistan, with its head office
in Kabul and offices in Gardez, Kandahar, Jalalabad and Herat. MDC employs 774
people. In the year 2000, MDC operated with 17 Mine Dog Groups (MDG) and
provided 33 Mine Dog Set (MDS) to MCPA to support its survey operations. MDC
clearance teams mainly operate in low priority areas contaminated by AT mines,
particularly AT mines with minimum metal content. In 2000, MDC cleared more
than 10.3 million square meters of mine contaminated area and destroyed 89 AP
mines, 378 AT mines and 1,209 UXO. MDC’s budget for 2000 was $4.6 million
while it only received approximately $2.5 million, due to the funding shortage.
Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR).
OMAR conducts mine and UXO clearance and mine awareness in various parts of the
country, with its head office recently relocated to Kabul (from Peshawar) and
offices in Jalalabad, Kandahar, and Herat. OMAR has 645 employees of whom 550
are involved in mine clearance and 95 in mine awareness education. It also runs
some primary education, health care and rehabilitation projects with separate
staff and budget. In the year 2000, OMAR operated with ten manual clearance
teams, four battle area clearance teams, and three mechanical mine clearance
teams and cleared more than 1.8 million square meters of mine contaminated area
and about 3.5 million square meters former battle area contaminated by UXO.
During these clearance operations 2,237 AP mines, 9 AT mines and 47,894 UXO were
destroyed. In 2000 OMAR’s budget for mine clearance was $1.3 million
while it spent more than $400,000 on its mine awareness education project.
Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA). While MCPA is primarily
engaged in survey, it also undertakes clearance as part of the two-meter
minefield boundary clearance and reduction of suspected mined areas. In 2000,
MCPA reduced or cleared about 3 million square meter mine contaminated area as
part of the two-meter minefield boundary clearance and reduction of suspected
mined areas and destroyed 120 AP mines, 22 AT mines and 332 UXO. Reduction of
suspected mined area during the survey process is an important element of the
technical survey as it saves significant mine clearance resources.
The
Monitoring, Evaluation and Training Agency (META) is responsible formonitoring and evaluating mine action operations in the field and is funded
by, and reports, to MAPA. It has 74 employees. In 2000, META conducted 172
demining training courses attended by approximately 4,000 mine action personnel.
In mid-2000, UNDP commissioned the first pilot training course for senior level
national mine action managers at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom,
which was attended by the directors of META and MDC. Similar projects are
planned for senior and mid-level managers.
The Taliban’s defense
spokesperson told Landmine Monitor, “We only clear landmines which we come
across.... Other planted mines are still there in the ground and their
clearance belongs to the demining organizations to which we provide all possible
support.”[39]
On 5
August 2000, unknown assailants killed seven members of two OMAR mine awareness
teams including a driver, in Sabzak district of Badghais province in the west of
the country. The only survivor of this ambush was one driver. The assailants
first fired at the two vehicles carrying the teams with automatic machine guns
and then set them on fire. The mine awareness teams were on their way to Herat
after a field mission in Badghais province. Following the killings, MAPA
suspended all mine action activities in Badghais and Faryab provinces and as of
June 2001 the suspension was still in place due to security reasons. However,
mine action operations may start soon in Faryab province from the RMAC in
Mazar-sharif. The killings were condemned by NGOs working in Afghanistan as
well as by the United Nations and a number of
countries.[40]
Reconstruction and Development
In 2000, MAPA conducted a study on the
Socio-Economic Impact of Mine Action in Afghanistan (SIMAA). The study is a
follow-up to the 1998 Socio-Economic Impact Study by MCPA and is part of a World
Bank and UNDP Afghanistan “Watching Brief” project. The
Socio-Economic Impact Study attempted to measure the social and economic impact
of mines and mine action in the affected communities. Results of the study
indicate that the economic loss due to a death from a mine accident in
Afghanistan is estimated at $12,000 while the economic loss from a landmine
injury is estimated at $9,000. Loss of animals to mine accident is estimated at
about $2,500 per square kilometer annually. The net value of productivity of
cleared agriculture land shows wide variation, ranging from $13,500 to $520,000
per square kilometer annually. The benefits from clearing irrigation areas were
even more substantial, amounting to as much as $1.5 million per square kilometer
annually in the provinces with the best conditions for agriculture productivity.
The livestock sector’s contribution to gross domestic product was
estimated at $508 million in 1998-1999. Net annual output value from livestock
rearing from one square kilometer of grazing area varies regionally between
$1,200 and $2,000. The benefits from the clearance of mined roads are
considerable, over $250,000 annually per 50
kilometers.[41]
Mine Awareness Education
Mine awareness education is carried out throughout
Afghanistan and for returning refugees in Pakistan and Iran. Its planning is
based on civilian mine accident data from hospitals reported by the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), World Health Organization
(WHO), Handicap International (Belgium), and on requests from local
organizations. The mine awareness education program in Afghanistan currently
consists of 150 mine awareness trainers and approximately 2,000 community
volunteers. Each NGO implements its awareness activities using a number of
different approaches to presenting a core set of
information.[42]
In the
year 2000, 1,076,553 civilians received mine awareness education in various
parts of the country. Implementing partners of MAPA have provided mine
awareness education to more than 7 million people from 1990 to
2000.[43] The NGOs engaged in
mine awareness education include:
Afghan Mine Awareness Agency (AMAA).
AMAA conducts community based mine awareness education in Herat province and is
based in Herat city. It has 14 employees. In 2000, AMAA provided mine
awareness training to more than 47,000 people in Herat province. Its budget for
2000 was approximately $29,000.
Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).
The ARCS conducts limited mine awareness training in Kabul and Logar
provinces. It has 13 employees. In 2000, ARCS provided mine awareness training
to about 66,900 people, with funding provided by the ICRC.
Ansar Relief
Institute (ARI). In the year 2000, this Iran (Mashad) based mine awareness
organization provided mine awareness training to approximately 186,000 returning
Afghan refugees. It has 41 employees. The training was mainly conducted at the
UNHCR encashment centers and five border crossing points. Its budget for 2000
was approximately $137,000.
BBC Afghan Education Project (BBC/AEP).
BBC/AEP disseminates mine awareness messages through its popular radio drama
series “New Home, New Life” and in the illustrated magazine that
accompanies the program. The series is broadcast on the Pashto and Persian
services of the BBC World Service three days a week as well as from the Peshawar
center of Radio Pakistan. BBC/AEP’s budget for 2000 was approximately
$105,000.
Handicap International (Belgium –
HI-B).[44] The community
based mine awareness activities of HI-B are mainly concentrated in the southern
region and Farah province of western region. HI-B has 73 employees. In the year
2000, 42 HI-B field staff and a network of 1,147 volunteers provided community
based awareness training to more than 436,955 people. In November 2000, HI-B
conducted a survey in central province of Ghazni to assess the needs in mine
awareness and as a result of the survey, mine awareness activities in eight
districts of this province started in February 2001. HI-B also collected more
than 861 reports of UXO, as an integrated activity to mine awareness, and
provided them to RMAC Kandahar for necessary action. HI-B’s budget for
2000 was about $270,000 (277,367 Euros). Main donors included European Union
(DG1), Australia (Austcare), Christian Aid and HI-B. An evaluation program was
conducted by an external consultant between April and May
2001.
Organization for Mine Awareness and Afghan Rehabilitation
(OMAR). In 2000, OMAR provided mine awareness training to more than 447,000
people in various parts of the country. It has 95 mine awareness staff. OMAR
distributed mine awareness materials including notebooks, posters, silk-screens,
identification books and storybooks, which were designed to assist people who
have received training to subsequently provide information and education to
friends and family members.
Save the Children Fund-US (SCF-US).
SCF-US continued its Landmine Education Project (LEP) in hospitals, clinics,
mosques and Kuchi settlements in Kabul and in the surrounding districts of
Paghman, Khaki Jabar and Sarobi. It employees 72 people. In the year 2000,
SCF-US provided mine awareness training to more than 43,800 people through its
employed field staff and a network of about 400 volunteers. Its budget for 2000
was approximately $238,000.
In addition to these organizations, mine survey
and mine clearance NGOs also conduct mine awareness training in the vicinity of
their work areas. In 2000, these NGOs provided mine awareness training to about
65,000 people.
In 2000, the Afghan Campaign to Ban Landmines (ACBL) held
several meetings with concerned Taliban authorities in Kabul and in northern
parts of the country to encourage full implementation of their decree on
landmines. Efforts to reach the authorities of the Northern Alliance met with
difficulties due to security and logistical challenges in the Alliance
controlled areas. The ACBL arranged a wide range of activities including public
meetings, exhibitions, collection of petitions, and several sport events in
various parts of the country as part of the Afghan Mine Action and Awareness
Month (25 October to 25 November 2000). Two editions of the ACBL newsletter
were published and distributed as well as 1,500 copies of a 30-page pictorial
booklet, 2,000 copies each of two ACBL brochures and 1,000 copies of 2001
pictorial calendar.[45] In
2000, ACBL’s activities were mainly funded by Save the Children Sweden and
MAPA/UNOCHA.
Research and Development
Technical staff from MAPA in cooperation with mine
action NGOs carried out a metal detector trial from September 1999 to March 2000
in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Personnel from three internationally
accredited independent research and development centers monitored the trial.
The aim was to evaluate the suitability, sensitivity, and simulated minefield
performance as well as durability factors that best replicated the situation of
Afghanistan.[46] One finding
was that some of the metal detectors currently used by MAPA do not meet UN
standards and MAPA plans to put a proposal to donors for replacement of these
detectors.[47] Two other
trials, one on a new type of mine clearance machine and one on mine detecting
dogs are in progress and results of the trials will be made available as soon as
they are completed.
Evaluation of MAPA
MAPA, in collaboration with its partner NGOs, has
developed a substantial number of new survey, clearance, and operational
management techniques and procedures in the past ten years which have led to
significant increases in the operational outputs, reduction in operating costs
and improved safety for mine clearance personnel. Many of these developments
have been subsequently utilized or adopted by mine action programs in other
mine-affected countries. MAPA has conducted a number of studies/trials to
improve overall management and clearance efficiency in 2000.
Before
approving continued funding, however, a number of donor countries and agencies
requested further evidence of MAPA’s impact and recommendations on how to
develop the program. An evaluation mission was commissioned with funding
provided by Canada, Japan and the UK, to determine the benefit of the program in
terms of humanitarian and socio-economic impact, technical effectiveness,
management efficiency, political considerations, and effective, efficient and
transparent use of funds. It was asked to make recommendations for the
improvement of MAPA’s efficiency and to consider options leading to a UN
exit strategy. The evaluation team consisted of two independent international
and two national consultants and the mission took place from 26 October to 7
December 2000, inside Afghanistan including Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, and
Herat, as well as Islamabad and Peshawar in Pakistan. The evaluation process
included meetings with MAPA officials, mine action NGOs and the relevant
government authorities; detailed review of all administrative and operational
standing operating procedures (SOPs); visits to field operations and mine
affected communities, and meetings with other concerned national and
international NGOs and the UN Agencies. The evaluation provided a set of
comprehensive operational recommendations to MAPA for consideration and
necessary action but detailed findings and results have not yet been made
public.[48]
Landmine Casualties
Information on landmine casualties in Afghanistan
is very limited and to a large extent deficient as most data collection on
landmine casualties is not systematic or well coordinated. Studies have been
undertaken by various agencies including ICRC, MAPA, Save the Children–US
and local NGOs. The degree to which data collected is representative of the
whole country is unknown. In addition, the data collection “is not based
on any well-conceived sampling technique, and double counting may occur among
the agencies
involved.”[49] Part of
the problem with systematic and reliable data collection is also the ongoing
conflict and casualties in isolated and remote areas that go unreported. Almost
50 percent of mine victims are still believed to die before reaching a medical
facility.
In order to streamline landmine casualty data collection, a joint
effort is underway for comprehensive data collection by WHO, ICRC and MAPA. The
ICRC indicates that it has improved the data collection system and cooperation
with 280 hospitals/clinics supported by ARCS, Aide Medical International (AMI),
HALO Trust, Health Net, Ibn Sina, Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC) and
Swedish Committee for Afghanistan
(SCA).[50] The ICRC has
improved its mine victim data collection program by training more staff as well
as by modifying the existing database. In the meantime, MAPA is in the process
of establishing the Afghan Mine Victim Information System (AMVIS) involving some
of the MAPA’s mine awareness NGOs, as well as other aid organizations like
ICRC, HI and community
mechanisms.[51]
In 2000,
the ICRC recorded 1,114 mine and UXO casualties throughout
Afghanistan,[52] which is close
to the 1,003 casualties recorded by MAPA in the same period. There has been a
significant decline in the number of casualties reported for 2000 compared to
1999. According to data collected by MAPA and the Afghan Campaign, there were
on average about 130 reported mine casualties per month in
1999.[53] The data collected
by MAPA and the ICRC for 2000 would indicate an average of about 88 reported
mine casualties per month.
These reported totals would not, however, reflect
the total number of new mine casualties, since many go unreported. MAPA
estimates that there were between 150 and 300 landmine casualties per month in
2000.[54]
An analysis of
the ICRC data for 2000 revealed that 92 percent of the casualties were male, and
49 percent of the casualties were under 18 years
old.[55] Landmines were the
cause of 46 percent of the casualties, while UXO accounted for 49 percent and 5
percent by unknown explosive devices. Analysis of MAPA’s data shows that
of the 1,003 cases, 401 were male, 31 were female and 571 were children under 18
years of age, which means that more than half of the mine and UXO
casualties in 2000 involved children. The analysis of MAPA’s mine and UXO
data by type of explosive devices is very similar to that of
ICRC.[56]
The number of
demining accidents to MAPA’s deminers and surveyors declined in 2000, when
compared to 1999. In the year 2000, four deminers died and ten were injured,
while in 1999 four deminers died and 21 were injured. MAPA’s record of
demining casualty incidents indicates that from 1990 to February 2001, 34
deminers and surveyors were killed and 544 injured during mine clearance
operations.[57]
Survivor Assistance
The limited aid provided to disabled persons
including landmine survivors in Afghanistan comes from national and
international NGOs, while a government department called “Department for
Martyrs and Disabled Persons” also provides some assistance to persons
with disabilities and families of martyrs. In Afghanistan approximately 26
organizations and NGOs provide assistance to disabled persons, including
landmine survivors, but only six of these are actively and directly involved in
providing various types of assistance to disabled persons and landmine
survivors. These organizations include:
UNOPS/CDAP operates a
community based rehabilitation and primary education programme for disabled
persons, including landmine survivors, in 46 districts of 12 provinces of
Afghanistan. It is based in Peshawar (Pakistan) with five regional offices in
Kandahar, Ghazni, Herat, Mazar, Takhar, and two offices in Kabul and Farah.
UNOPS/CDAP’s main area of work includes orthopedic services,
physiotherapy, employment support, home-based therapy, special education and
primary education. In the year 2000, approximately 400 paid staff (77 percent
male and 23 percent female) and a network of approximately 2000 community
volunteers were engaged in the program. Due to a shortfall in budget in 2000,
UNOPS/CDAP had to reduce its community rehabilitation program from 64 to 46
districts. In the year 2000, it assisted approximately 35,000 people with
services delivered through four orthopedic workshops, 28 community
rehabilitation and development centers (CRDCs) and 112 community based primary
schools. UNOPS/CDAP’s budget for 2000 was about $1.7 million and the main
donors were UNDP, SIDA, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and the
UK.[58]
International
Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC).[59]TheICRC
operates from its head office in Kabul, and offices in Kandahar, Herat,
Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Gulbahar, and Ghazni. Currently, the orthopedic
program provides services through facilities in Kabul (since 1998),
Mazar-i-Sharif (since 1991), Herat (since 1993), Jalalabad (since 1995), and
Gulbahar (since 1999). The ICRC’s orthopedic centers employ 259 persons
(including 30 women). The orthopedic centers produce prostheses, orthoses,
crutches and wheelchairs while other orthopedic components are produced in the
Kabul center. The orthopedic centers also provide physiotherapy and
rehabilitation programs as well as training for
staff.[60] In 2000, ICRC
produced 4,600 prostheses, 6,360 orthoses, 10,681 pairs of crutches and 865
wheelchairs. ICRC also registered 1,963 amputees and 4,272 people with other
disabilities.
Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal (SGAA). SGAA mostly
engages in physical rehabilitation for disabled persons. It has a
rehabilitation center in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, five outreach units in
Kabul and one in Peshawar (Pakistan). SGAA employs 80 people (including 20
women). In 2000, SGAA provided various rehabilitation services to about 7,800
people and provided 310 prosthetic legs, 1,200 rubber feet, 2,560 prosthetic
& clipper joints, 1,450 different kinds of orthoses, 360 wheelchairs, and
5,100 walking aids to people with various types of disabilities including mine
survivors. In 2000 SGAA’s main donors were the Diana, Princess of Wales
Memorial Fund and UNICEF.
Guardians. Guardians provide physical
rehabilitation services to people with disabilities, including landmine
survivors, and limited health services. It has 48 employees (including eight
women). Its main rehabilitation center is located in Kandahar and it has two
health units in Quetta (Pakistan). In 2000, Guardians registered approximately
3,100 new patients and provided 614 prostheses, 653 orthoses and 2,330 walking
aids to both new and old
patients.[61]
Serving
Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprises
(SERVE).[62] Enabling &
Mobilizing Afghan Disabled (EMAD) is a SERVE project on rehabilitation and
education for disabled persons, including landmine survivors, in five districts
of Kabul province. EMAD has 25 employees and a network of about 60 community
volunteers. Its main activities include survey and counseling, training in daily
living skills, orientation and mobility, manual dexterity skills, employment
support services, community mobilization, home based functional skills training,
physiotherapy, and integration of school age disabled children in normal
schools. In addition, it provides special education services to visually
impaired children and low vision education and materials to low vision children
as well. In 2000, EMAD provided training to more than 700 disabled people in
various fields and established seven community development committees.
EMAD’s budget for 2000 was approximately $100,000.
International
Assistance Mission (IAM). IAM provides a variety of rehabilitation services
to disabled people in Afghanistan including landmine survivors. It operates the
Noor Eye hospital in Kabul and eye clinics in Herat and Mazar-i-Sahrif and
provides financial and technical support to the Physiotherapy School of Kabul
and the Blind School of Kabul as well as providing limited vocational training
and primary mental health
care.[63]
Included in the
organizations indirectly supporting the disabled/mine survivors are ABRAAR,
KJRC, SSC, WHO, CARE International, Habitat, Handicap International (Belgium)
and Afghan NGOs Coordination Bureau (ANCB). UNOPS/CDAP serves as the national
coordinating body for all the rehabilitation services provided to disabled
persons by the NGOs.
The National Manager of UNOPS/CDAP, Dr. Farooq Wardak,
told Landmine Monitor that while there is currently no national law on
disability in Afghanistan, UNOPS/CDAP is working with other partners to develop
legislation.[64] Other measures
undertaken by UNOPS/CDAP include development of a better coordination mechanism,
development of a national strategy on disability, unification of prosthetic and
orthotic technology, development of a national curriculum for physiotherapy,
development of a national dictionary of about 2,000 songs for persons with
impaired hearing and establishment of a Physiotherapy School in Kabul. Dr.
Farooq described the progress made in these areas
“encouraging.”[65]
The following table summarizes national data of the orthopedic
workshops/centers operating in Afghanistan.
Orthopedic workshops and centers operating in
Afghanistan[66]
Location
Run
by
Staff
Total
Annual Production
(in pieces)
City
Province
Male
Female
Kabul
Kabul
ICRC
219
30
22,516
Jalalabad
Nangarhar
ICRC
Mazar-I-Sharif
Balkh
ICRC
Herat
Herat
ICRC
Gulbahar
Parwan
ICRC
Mazar-I-Sharif
Balkh
UNOPS/CDAP
32
3
5,216
Taloqan
Takhar
UNOPS/CDAP
Faizabad
Badakhshan
UNOPS/CDAP
Ghazni
Ghazni
UNOPS/CDAP
Kandahar
Kandahar
GUARDIANS
40
8
3,579
Jalalabad
Nangarhar
SGAA
25
3
2,961
Khost
Paktia
KJRC
4
0
350
Total
320
44
34,622
The various rehabilitation services provided are still far short of
meeting the needs of disabled persons in general and landmine survivors in
particular. Funding for some of the organizations working in the field of
disability are on the decline. As noted above, UNOPS/CDAP had to reduce its work
from 64 to 46 districts in
2000.[67]
[310] Interview with Mawlavi
Agha Mohammad Faizan, Head of Operations and Spokesman of the Ministry of
Defense of Taliban, Kabul, 4 April
2001.
[311] Interview with
Qudratullah Jamal, Minister of Culture and Information of Taliban, Kabul, 24
April 2001.
[312] Interview
with Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, ousted president of Afghanistan and Head of
the Northern Alliance, Faizabad, Afghanistan, 3 May 2001.
[313] Interview with Mawlavi
Agha Mohammad Faizan, Kabul, 4 April 2001.
[314]
Ibid.
[315] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Program Manager MAPA, Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 April
2001.
[316] Interview with
Mawlavi Agha Mohammad Faizan, Kabul, 4 April
2001.
[317] Interview with
Mohammad Younus, Director, Monitoring, Evaluation and Training Agency (META),
Ottawa, 9 June 2001.
[318]
Interview with Richard Daniel Kelly, Program Manager MAPA, Islamabad, Pakistan,
16 April 2001.
[319]
Interview with Mawlavi Agha Mohammad Faizan, Kabul, 4 April
2001.
[320] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Program Manager MAPA, Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 April
2001.
[321] MAPA, Annual Work
Plan for the Year 2000.
[322]
Interview with General Fahim, Minister for National Security at the Rabbani
government, Faizabad, Afghanistan, 5 May 2001 and Interview with Mawlavi Agha
Mohammad Faizan, Head of Operations and Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of
Taliban, Kabul, Afghanistan, 22 April 2001.
[323] Interview with
Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, Head of the Northern Alliance, Faizabad,
Afghanistan, 3 May 2001.
[324]The News
(Islamabad/Rawalpindi edition), 25 May 2001; “Anti-Taliban alliance admits
receiving foreign military support,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 24
May 2001. [325]
Interview with Richard Daniel Kelly, Program Manager MAPA, Islamabad, Pakistan,
15 May 2001.
[326] Interview
with General Fahim, Faizabad, Afghanistan, 5 May
2001.
[327] Interview with
Zamannudin, a PFM mine victim, Faizabad, Afghanistan, 5 May 2001. He was
injured in early April 2001 while collecting firewood on the Afghan side of the
Ammo River, in Darwaz district of Badakhshan province. Zamanuddin had reached a
hospital in Faizabad, Badakhshan after traveling for three days on a donkey.
Zamannudin had to amputate his left foot above ankle joint. According to
Zamanuddin, these mines also injured one other person, two horses, and one cow
in the same area.
[328]
MAPA, National Operational Plan for 2001, p.
2.
[329] UNDP/The World
Bank, “Study of Socio-economic Impact of Landmines in Afghanistan,”
June 2001, p. 6.
[330]
MAPA, Monthly Progress Report for December 2000, 13 February 2001, p. 1.
[331]
Ibid.
[332]
Ibid.
[333] Survey Action
Center, “Global Landmine Survey fact sheet,” February
2001.
[334] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Islamabad, 15 May
2001.
[335] Austria provided
$200,000 in 2000 (to MCPA via UNOCHA) while Germany provided approximately
$600,000 in special funds directly to MDC.
[336] Interview with Asif
Karim, Head of Administration and Finance UNOCHA, Islamabad, Pakistan, 7 June
2001.
[337] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Islamabad, 15 May
2001.
[338] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Islamabad, 16 April
2001.
[339] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Islamabad, 15 May
2001.
[340] Interview with
Kefayatullah Eblagh, Director ATC, Peshawar, Pakistan, 13 June
2001.
[341] Interview with
Asif Karim, Head of Administration and Finance UNOCHA, Islamabad, Pakistan, 7
June 2001.
[342] For the
locations and areas of responsibilities for the RMAC, see Landmine Monitor
Report 2000, p.
462.
[343]
Ibid.
[35] Information
provided by MAPA, 13 May
2001.
[36] MAPA, Monthly
Progress Report for December 2000, 13 February 2001, p.
1.
[37]
Ibid.
[38] Email to Landmine
Monitor (HRW) from Richard Boulter, Desk Officer Europe, The HALO Trust, 26 July
2001.
[39] Interview with
Mawlavi Agha Mohammad Faizan, Kabul, 4 April
2001.
[40] While the killings
were investigated by UNOCHA, the assailants and the motive behind the killings
remain unknown. Taliban and the opposition have traded accusations over who
carried out the killing. Mullah Khairullah blamed the men of Ismail Khan,
former governor of Herat province for the killings. Interview with Haji Fazel
Karim Fazel, Director OMAR, Peshawar, Pakistan, May 21, 2001; The News,
(Islamabad/Rawalpindi edition), 6 August 2000; Special Edition of
“AMN” magazine run by OMAR, Peshawar, December 2000, pp.
29-46.
[41] UNDP/The World
Bank, Study of Socio-Economic Impact of Mine Action in Afghanistan, June 2001.
p. V.
[42] MAPA, National
Operational Plan for 2001, p.
9.
[43] MAPA, Monthly
Progress Report for December 2000, 13 February 2001, p.
1.
[44] Response by email
from HI-B, Pascal Rigaldies, to Landmine Monitor, 16 July
2001.
[45] These publications
were both in English and local languages such as Pashtu and
Dari.
[46] MAPA, Summary of
Metal Detector Trial Report, September 1999 to March
2000.
[47] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Program Manager MAPA, Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 April
2001.
[48] Interview with
Richard Daniel Kelly, Islamabad, 16 April 2001 with inputs from Qadeem Tariq, a
member of the evaluation
team.
[49] UNDP/The World
Bank, Study of Socio-Economic Impact of Mine Action in Afghanistan, June 2001,
p. 10.
[50] ICRC, Briefing to
MAPA forth review conference 26-28 January 2000, Kabul,
Afghanistan.
[51] MAPA,
National Operational Plan for 2001, p.
5.
[52] ICRC, mine victim
data presented in the mine action fourth review conference, Kabul, Afghanistan,
26-28 February 2001. Updated total of 1,114 provided by ICRC, Isabelle Daoust,
by email on 11 July
2001.
[53] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 466. MAPA recorded 1,771 mine casualties from
January 1999 through January 2000. ACBL recorded 2,004 mine casualties from
January 1999 through April
2001.
[54] MAPA, Work Plan
for the Year 2000.
[55] ICRC,
mine victim data presented in the mine action fourth review conference, Kabul,
Afghanistan, 26-28 February
2001.
[56] Data provided by
MCPA/MAPA Database, 24 April
2001.
[57] MAPA, Monthly
Progress Report for February 2001. p.
3
[58] Response to Landmine
Monitor by email from Hayatullah Wahdat, ICRC, 3 July
2001.
[59] Response to
Landmine Monitor by fax from Lau Dyg, ICRC, 15 July
2001.
[60] “ICRC In
Afghanistan,” (Fact Sheet) December
2000.
[61] Response to
Landmine Monitor by fax from Humayoon Acheckzia, Guardians, 9 July
2001.
[62] Response to
Landmine Monitor by email from Abdul Basir Miakhel, SERVE, 16 July
2001.
[63] Interview with
Hayatullah Wahdat, Information Officer CDAP, 13 July 2001and IAM, Afghanistan
(Brochure).
[64] Interview
with Dr. Farooq Wardak, Program Manager UNOPS/CDAP, Peshawar, Pakistan, 1 May
2001.
[65]
Ibid.
[66] Interview with
Hayatullah Wahdat, Information Officer UNOPS/CDAP, Peshawar, Pakistan, 1 May
2001.
[67] Interview with Dr.
Farooq Wardak, Program Manager UNOPS/CDAP, Peshawar, Pakistan, 1 May 2001.