Key
developments since May 2001: In December 2001, the United Nations Mine
Action Coordination Center stated that the clearance of all known minefields and
cluster munition strike sites had been completed. It handed over responsibility
for mine action to UNMIK and local bodies. Small-scale mine and UXO clearance
will be needed for years to come. An estimated $85 million has been spent on
mine action in the province since June 1999. This resulted in the clearance of
more than 32 million square meters of land and the destruction of more than
50,000 mines, cluster bomblets and other unexploded ordnance. In 2001, over 8
million square meters were cleared. Caches of weaponry including antipersonnel
mines continue to be discovered. Civilian deaths and injuries declined during
2001 with a total of 22 casualties, including nine fatalities.
BACKGROUND
Kosovo remains a province of the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia, but has been under the administration of the United Nations
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) since
1999.[1] Elections were held on
17 November 2001 to form the Kosovo Provisional Assembly, as mandated by UNMIK.
Nine previously UN-administered local government departments were then
transferred to local government bodies, charged with all matters of internal
administration with the exception of security, which, along with foreign
affairs, remain under the direct administration of
UNMIK.[2]
The UN Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC) completed its scheduled term
and handed over responsibility for mine action to UNMIK and local bodies in
mid-December 2001. Survey and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
was transferred to the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC), which reports to
UNMIK.[3] Other aspects of
mine action were handed to the Kosovo Cadastral Agency, the Ministry of Health
Environment and Spatial Planning, and the Ministry of Education Science and
Technology.
USE
Since 1999, landmines have been used by unknown
persons in attacks on the remaining Serbian minority in Kosovo and on Serbian
military and police forces operating on the province’s border with
southern Serbia.[4] In 2001 and
2002, the use of mines has declined substantially, as attested to by
international personnel in Kosovo, KFOR and UNMIK reports, and a significant
reduction in the number of mine
casualties.[5] The reduction in
new use of mines is consistent with a reduction of tension in the Preshevo
valley since early 2001, when militant ethnic Albanian groups conducted
operations on the borders with southern Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia.
Reported incidents involving mines or improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
since June 2001, some of which may be new uses of mines/IEDs, include:
6 July 2001 - a mine severely injured a Serbian man near the village of
Priluzje in Vucitrn.[6]
30 September 2001 - a Serb woman was killed in Klokot by a booby-trap on the
road.[7]
21 January 2002 - a booby-trap explosion seriously injured a KPC officer and
his
family.[8]
Caches of
weaponry including antipersonnel mines continue to be discovered by security
forces. Caches including mines were reported in June-July 2001 (5 boxes of
antipersonnel mines, and 1,100 grenades and antipersonnel mines), August (2
antivehicle mines and an unspecified number of antipersonnel mines), October (14
antipersonnel mines), November (265 grenades and mines), December 2001 (13
antivehicle mines and 3 antipersonnel mines), and February 2002 (293 grenades
and mines).[9]
Weapons possession is banned for all Kosovo residents except those holding
weapons authorization cards under UNMIK Regulation 2001/7. Illegal possession
of weapons is punishable by a prison term of up to eight years or a maximum fine
of €7,500 (US$6,735).[10]
Two periods of amnesty for the voluntary handing-in of weaponry by the civilian
population have been held in Kosovo, in early 2001 and 15 March-15 April 2002.
In the latter case, a total of 90 mines were
collected.[11]
MINE/UXO PROBLEM
In December 2001, it was announced that UNMIK had
determined “that all known minefields and cluster munition strike sites in
Kosovo have been cleared to internationally acceptable
standards.”[12] In its
final annual report, the MACC stated that “the problems associated with
landmines, cluster munitions and other items of unexploded ordnance in Kosovo
have been virtually eliminated.... Whilst it may take years to completely
eradicate all items of explosive ordnance from Kosovo, as indeed it will in most
other countries in Europe, the situation is such that the level of contamination
no longer impedes social and economic development within the
province.”[13] The United
Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) stated, “While there still is a
possibility that some mines may be found in the future, the remaining threat in
Kosovo consists primarily of limited numbers of CBU [cluster bomb units] and
other UXO.”[14]
Some areas of known contamination were not yet cleared when the MACC
completed operations. MACC clearance plans were delayed by unseasonably heavy
rain in the middle of 2001 and early heavy snowfall in November 2001, resulting
in more uncompleted “task dossiers” at the time of handover than
initially envisaged. Task dossiers identify specific geographical areas
verified as a “dangerous area” and contain details of surveys, past
clearance, and other relevant information. A single task dossier may refer to
more than one minefield or cluster bomb strike site, as dossiers identify
dangerous areas.[15]
As of 15 December 2001, 47 task dossiers remained to be completed.
Subsequent discoveries of mine/UXO contaminated areas increased the total of
outstanding task dossiers to 52 by April 2002. Of the 50 tasks outstanding in
March 2002, 34 involved CBU strikes. Seventeen required the continuation of
clearance activity and six required the commencement of clearance. The
remainder required resurvey and an evaluation to assess the remaining
threat.[16]
When the MACC handed over responsibility for residual mine/UXO clearance to
the KPC in December 2001, one minefield was still being worked on as a result of
previous bad weather and other delays. The minefield, which is inside the
Albanian border, was half-cleared before winter snows stopped work; it has been
marked and passed to the Albanian Mine Action Executive for completion in 2002.
As agriculture, construction, and other economic activities resume, and as
displaced persons return, potential areas of unknown mine/UXO contamination may
pose more of a hazard than the known sites. Maps and information on the 620
minefields laid by the Yugoslav Army were handed to the MACC in 1999, but there
is a possibility of some small, unknown minefields remaining. In addition, MACC
was not given records of mines laid by Serb Ministry of the Interior police
units and paramilitary
groups.[17]
At least one CBU strike site previously cleared has since caused a civilian
casualty and is undergoing renewed clearance that is expected to take until the
end of 2002.[18] (See also later
section on Mine/UXO Clearance). Of the 295,700 cluster bomblets reportedly
dropped on Kosovo, the MACC estimated initially that “as many as 30,000
individual bomblets may have failed to
function.”[19] In May
2002, a member of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team (EOD) stated that about
17,000 bomblets had been cleared and the initial estimate has been revised
downwards to fewer than 20,000 bomblets that failed to
function.[20]
In its final annual report for 2001, the MACC stated that while some new
mines may still be found, these are unlikely to be large-scale minefields and
should be within the capability of KPC teams trained in technical survey. It
added, “In the unlikely event of a large minefield, or a number of large
mined areas being located in the future, then it will be possible to contract
specialist assistance as required.... This is a more cost-effective solution
than maintaining these capabilities in the Province when there is little
likelihood that they will be used on a regular basis.... These new areas have
generally been in extremely remote, difficult to access areas where the impact
of the mines is
minimal.”[21]
MINE ACTION COORDINATION AND PLANNING
The structure and responsibilities of the Mine
Action Coordination Center were described in previous Landmine Monitor reports.
An external evaluation of the mine action program in Kosovo was carried out on
behalf of the UNMAS by the independent Praxis Group in October-November 2001.
This evaluation, delivered in February 2002, praised the achievements of the
MACC, which had been constrained to operate on a new partnership model (as
opposed to a command and control model), with “piecemeal funding”
and seconded staff, in a context of “deprivation and improvisation.”
The evaluation noted that, “With minimal equipment and a weak logistics
link to its parent UNMIK ... the UN team was forced to ‘make do’
often relying on mine action NGOs for support and assistance. Without the
goodwill and help of the NGOs (and at least one major donor – the
UK’s DFID), the fledgling MACC might well have failed to go much
further.”[22]
The evaluation ascribes much of the “resounding success” of the
mine action program in Kosovo to the MACC’s flexibility, vision and
overall competence, and the acceptance of its central coordinating role by KFOR
and the many NGOs establishing operations in the province. The evaluation notes
the absence of “viable standby capacity on the part of UNMAS and the
Department of Peacekeeping
Operations.”[23]
On 15 December 2001, responsibility for mine action and explosive ordnance
disposal passed from MACC to Kosovo local government bodies and the UNMIK
Directorate of Civil Protection (DCP). The DCP manages the Kosovo Protection
Corps, which was formed from members of the disarmed KLA following its
disbanding in 2000. The Praxis/UNMAS evaluation is critical of the early and
“political” decision to make the KPC responsible for ongoing
mine/UXO clearance, “thereby effectively reducing the options available to
the MACC for the creation of (civilian) long-term capacity in
Kosovo.”[24]
To ease the transfer from the MACC to this new structure, two of the three
international posts and all seven local staff posts within the DCP EOD
management have been filled by staff from the previous
MACC.[25] International staff
remain in the posts of Operations and Quality Assurance, and Mine
Awareness/Public Information.
In August 2001, the KPC began a training program to develop seven teams with
an EOD capacity, starting with initial training in CBU clearance and a period of
practical operations in the field. Four of the teams had completed training and
become operational by 15 December 2001 and the other three teams in early 2002.
The training was carried out by the NGO Handicap International (HI) with KFOR
monitoring, and HI provided supervision in the
field.[26] The Praxis
evaluation team, visiting in October 2001, was surprised that “mine
clearance was not on the curriculum. We later learned that a small group, no
more than 16, would receive mine clearance training in the spring of 2002,
notwithstanding KFOR’s
objections....”[27]
HI reports that it was contracted to provide managerial support and continue
training in EOD, Battle Area Clearance, CBU search and clearance techniques,
survey and humanitarian demining, as well as training support to KPC medical
teams, until September 2002, with seven international and nine national
staff.[28] The MACC annual
report for 2001 stated that all formal training of the KPC teams should be
completed by May 2002 and “from this time the KPC will be capable of
dealing with the anticipated residual threat from mines and unexploded ordnance
in Kosovo. On the rare occasions when sophisticated NATO ordnance that has not
been covered during training is encountered, these tasks can be undertaken under
the supervision of experienced KFOR EOD
teams.”[29] Mines/UXO
discovered by KPC teams are either destroyed in situ, in the case of CBUs, or
removed for destruction by HI supervisors. All KPC clearance sites are
supervised by HI staff.[30]
Each of the seven KPC teams consists of 11 EOD/clearance personnel, two
medics and a driver, providing 77 staff trained in EOD/clearance activities, out
of a total KPC complement of 3,000 (reduced from 4,300 in October 2001). The
KPC is tasked with community development activities as well as disaster
response, humanitarian assistance and
demining.[31]
KFOR will provide medical evacuation and storage of explosives as necessary.
An emergency response system involving KFOR and the Kosovo Police Service was
developed to “ensure that there is a timely, integrated response to EOD
situations as they are
encountered.”[32]
Other MACC functions were transferred to a variety of local government
bodies. International staff have expressed concern about the limited
consultation with non-UN bodies in the division of MACC duties between the
various local government departments, and how well the new arrangements are
working in practice.[33]
Ongoing maintenance of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA)
database system and supply of updated IMSMA information to the KPC and other
organizations was transferred to the Kosovo Cadastral Agency, which received
extensive training.[34]
However, serious delays occurred, and as of early April 2002 HI had received no
update of the IMSMA database since November
2001.[35] As a result, IMSMA
entries are now verified and processed by the DCP Operations Officers and the
updated information is then forwarded to the
Agency.[36] As of April 2002,
the Ministry of Health had not supplied updated mine casualty
statistics.[37]
KPC teams are all ethnic Albanians, and there is concern whether they will be
allowed entry to minority areas. A Prizren-based KPC EOD team assisted by an HI
Technical Advisor withdrew from the Serbian minority area of Vilica Hocha in
November 2001 without completing its activities due to perceived hostility from
the local population.[38]
The speed of the hand-over, the inflexibility (leaving no margin for
operational delays) and lack of a planned transitional phase have been
criticized as working against the stated intention of creating “a seamless
transition from the existing international coordinated effort to locally managed
and implemented
projects.”[39]
MINE ACTION FUNDING
The International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine
Victims Assistance (ITF) channeled donations totaling US$7,176,650 to mine
action agencies operating in Kosovo in
2001.[40] In addition, the MACC
received US$1,177,995 from Canada, via the UN Voluntary Trust Fund. These
donations were used to cover the MACC operational costs in 2001 (with other
donations received in 2000), to contract core assets, and to support a clearance
project in the Dulje Pass
area.[41]
After successful clearance in 2000, the number of NGOs and commercial
clearance organizations was reduced to eight and three respectively, which all
received bilateral funding/contracting in 2001. Although, in some case, the
funding was delayed, which delayed or shortened operations in 2001, overall
“the capacity available to the MACC in 2001 has been about
right.”[42]
Throughout the period mid-1999 to December 2001, mine action in Kosovo was
funded from the UNMIK budget, the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine
Action (VTF), the ITF, bilateral donations from governments and in-kind
contributions. These donations have gone to the MACC or directly to the many
mine action organizations operating in Kosovo. This variety of funding sources
and routes, and the number of organizations supported, has allowed only
estimations of the total mine action funding in Kosovo. The Praxis/UNMAS
evaluation concluded that a total of about $85 million had been invested in the
mine action program in Kosovo from mid-1999 to the end of 2001, including over
$59 million in bilateral funding and in-kind assistance by the donor community.
However it is emphasized that this is not an exact figure, and the evaluation
details some of the features of each source of
funding.[43]
UNMIK. The Praxis/UNMAS evaluation gives no single figure as
representing contributions to UNMIK for the MACC, but notes that administrative
confusion and disputes between the different agencies involved resulted in
funding of the MACC being both delayed and inadequate. It also notes that
“funds for operations were far easier to access than funds for the
management of these operations. While Kosovo was disproportionately blessed by
donor attention, the MACC often was left to starve in the midst of
plenty.”[44]
UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action (VTF).
The VTF is described as the MACC’s “financial
backbone;” funds channeled through the VTF totaled US$9,967,135. As noted
above, the total for 2001 was $1.18 million. Over half the VTF funding came
from donations by European Union countries and Canada. However, bureaucratic
problems resulted in long delays in some cases, and resulted in the withdrawal
of €2 million pledged by the European Agency for Reconstruction and
€1.7 million by the European
Union.[45]
Donations to mine action in Kosovo 1999-2001 via the VTF
Donors
Payments (US$)
Pledges
Australia
314,654
Belgium
264,434
Canada
1,571,761
Denmark
775,847
France
325,203
Italy
241,756
Luxemburg
126,186
Netherlands
798,375
Norway
199,980
San Marino
14,978
Spain
185,000
Switzerland
735,421
UK
300,000
EU
4,113,540
1,706,000
Total Payments
9,967,135
Total Payments/Pledges
11,673,135
International Trust Fund for Demining and Victims Assistance (ITF)– This fund, set up by Slovenia in 1998, was favored by donors for its
speed, low costs and lack of bureaucracy – and the doubling of donations
via a matching-funds agreement with the United States. The ITF began supporting
mine clearance in Kosovo in 2000, and in 2001 allocated nearly 25 percent of its
funds to Kosovo. In 2001, $4,165,619 was donated by the ITF for demining (from
donations by the US, Germany, Switzerland and France), $315,582 for mine
awareness (US) and $543,314 for victim assistance (US). In addition, a number
of NGOs received donations channeled through the ITF and the Canadian
International Demining Agency channeled funds for the VTF through the ITF to
attract US matching
funds.[46]
Bilateral funding – The Praxis/UNMAS evaluation
identified the following bilateral donations to mine action in Kosovo, but
presented this as only a “ball-park” indication of the breadth of
bilateral support.[47]
Bilateral funding of mine action in Kosovo 1999-2001
Donor
Contribution (US$)
Remarks
European Union
2,304,000
ECHO support for HI, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Intersos, and
Mines Advisory Group (MAG)
Belgium
500,000
Funding of Mine Tech/MACC core assets
Canada
2,700,000
Support for, inter alia, International Demining Alliance of Canada
Czech Republic
150,000
Funding of HALO Trust, via the ITF
Denmark
5,800,000
Support for Danish Church Aid (DCA)
Germany
2,000,000
Funding of HALO Trust and HELP via ITF, estimated on basis of HALO contract
sheet, no HELP data; funded CARE through ITF, estimate
Ireland
963,046
Three contracts with HALO, GB₤664,170
Italy
750,000
Estimate, co-funded Intersos for one year with ECHO
Japan
265,662
HALO contract
Netherlands
1,371,407
Three contracts with HALO
Norway
6,000,000
Five contracts with NPA, totaling NOK50,522,650 (data from NPA)
United Kingdom
19,504,863
Equipment for MACC, contracts with several mine clearance operators,
support to UNICEF for mine awareness (communication from DFID, 26 November
2001)
United States
10,326,627
Contracts with RONCO, support for contracts negotiated by ITF (as reported
to UN, OCHA website)
Switzerland
2,652,788
$1,800,000 for Emercom, $852,788 for HALO (interviews, HALO contract
sheets)
Geneva Communes
433,242
Contract with Halo GB₤298,788
World Vision
500,000
Co-funded MAG manual demining team (with ECHO, estimate)
UNHCR
3,300,000
$2,269,567 Contract in 1999 with HELP, plus two supplementary agreements
(HELP Final report part II, provided by UNHCR); contract with MINE–TECH in
2000, value estimated at US$1.3 million
Total Estimate
59,521,635
[48] The Praxis/UNMAS
evaluation concluded that: “The MACC’s ability to collect and track
costs associated with the various mine action activities appears to have been
severely hampered by the extensive number of bilateral funding agreements which
the MACC was not always privy
to.”[49] As a result of
the funding situation, planning was resource-driven rather than need-led.
SURVEY AND PRIORITIZATION
Survey and, in particular, the use of the
Information Management System for Mine Action in Kosovo were reported in the
Landmine Monitor Report 2001. The Praxis/UNMAS evaluationcommented that Kosovo was the first use of IMSMA in a mine action program,
which revealed many deficiencies in the original system, and resulted in a
version 2.1 being delivered in November
2001.[50]
In August 1999, the IMSMA database contained reports of over 4,000 dangerous
areas. During the two and a half years of mine/UXO clearance; this was reduced
to 47 remaining task dossiers by 15 December 2001 when the MACC closed. In
April 2002, there were 52 task dossiers.
The MACC reported at the end of 2001 that Kosovo had been extensively
surveyed for more than two years, and very few new mined areas had been located
in the past 12-18 months. Although some mines may be found in the future, it is
unlikely that these will be large-scale mined areas and “will be within
the clearance capabilities of the teams trained in Technical
Survey.”[51]
Responsibility for IMSMA in 2002, post-MACC, is described in an earlier
section of this report. The DCP Operations Officers will continue to oversee
and prioritize tasking for EOD and clearance teams up to September 2002.
Tasking will prioritize known minefields, followed by suspected minefields,
known CBU strikes and reported UXO. Currently KPC EOD teams with HI supervision
are providing support to teams removing wrecked cars from fields and roadsides.
However, it has also been recognized that high-profile events such as in Grmija,
where a previously cleared CBU strike site caused a civilian casualty in
February 2002, will result in tasking priorities being
changed.[52]
MINE/UXO CLEARANCE
From the beginning of operations in June 1999
through 2001, a total of 32,224,107 square meters of land were cleared, with the
destruction of 19,457 antipersonnel mines, 5,515 antivehicle mines, 15,940
cluster bomblets and 13,896 other items of
UXO.[53]
Clearance during 2001 concentrated increasingly on the south and west of the
province. Progress was slower than expected due to particularly bad weather,
with heavy rain in June and July and early snow in November; also, clearance
areas were more inaccessible than the high-priority areas cleared in
2000.[54] During 2001,
8,111,933 million square meters were cleared with the destruction of 7,568
antipersonnel mines, 77 antivehicle mines, 2,340 cluster bomblets and 1,072
other items of UXO.[55]
In 2001, following an assessment of tasks and resources made by the MACC in
September 2000,[56] clearance
agencies were reduced from 16 to 11, with the number of commercial agencies
going from eight to three, while eight NGOs
remained.[57]
Mine Clearance Organizations Operating in Kosovo in 2001
Organization
Operational Dates
Capacity
Remarks
Danish Church Aid/Action by Churches Together
Feb – Oct
127 manual clearance personnel and one Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) Team
operating in MultiNational Brigade (MNB) West
Funded by Denmark (DANIDA).
Defence Systems Ltd
Jan – Dec
Two 5-person EOD response teams
Two 6-person survey teams
Funded by the UK (DFID) to 27 August 2001, then funding gap until European
Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) funding October–December 2001.
Operated as a MACC core asset, worked province-wide, contracted by UNOPS
funded by Canada
EMERCOM Demining Co.
Mar – Nov
Three manual clearance teams and three EDD teams, in MNB (S)
Funded by Switzerland
HALO Trust
Mar – Nov
Two CBU clearance teams (20 persons) in MNB (W) and MNB (S);
One manual clearance team (20 persons) in MNB (W);
Two Case armored front loaders in MNB (W);
Ten CBU clearance teams in MNB (W), (C) and (E);
Four CBU clearance teams in MNB (W), (C) and (E);
One Mine Awareness Support Team (MAST) in MNB (W), (C), (S) and (E)
Funded by :
Switzerland
Ireland
The Netherlands; rollers donated by UNICEF.
UK (DFID)
Germany, through the ITF
UK (DFID)
Handicap International
Mar – Nov
Two Battle Area Clearance (BAC) Teams, and one MAST, in MNB (W)
Funding for August provided by UNMAS through UNOPS.
Funding from September by EAR, Netherlands through Stichling Vluchling and
by France through ITF
HELP
Apr- Nov
One Level One Survey Team and one Level Two Survey Team, supported by Mine
Awareness Officer
Funded by Germany through ITF until end August, and direct thereafter.
Operated Kosovo-wide as a MACC survey Asset.
INTERSOS
Mar-Nov
Three CBU clearance teams and one MAST, in MNB (C) to August and MNB (W)
August onwards.
CBU teams funded by Italy to 19 August, EAR from 1 Sept.
Mine Tech
Apr- Nov
Jun- Nov
Jul – Nov
Sept –Dec
Four manual mine clearance teams and one MAST;
Four survey/clearance teams
One mini-flail and support team
Two manual clearance teams
Operating Kosovo-wide as MACC core asset funded by Canada through
UNOPS.
Canada through ITF with matching US funds.
Operating Kosovo-wide as required. MACC core asset funded by Canada
Contracted by CARE International with German funding
Norwegian People’s Aid
Mar- Nov
Six manual clearance teams
Two Sisu flails as MACC core assets
Four CBU clearance teams and one MAST
Funded by Norway.
Flails donated by Finland
RONCO
Mar – Oct
Six CBU clearance teams
US through IFT
Swiss Federation for Mine Action
Apr- Nov
One CBU clearance team
Funded by Switzerland.
The rate of casualties among deminers working for clearance agencies has
caused concern. There were 30 accidents causing 32 casualties, including one
fatality, from June 1999 to December 2001. Thirteen of these accidents occurred
in 2001. The Praxis/UNMAS evaluation regarded this as unacceptably high,
because “[w]orking conditions and the mine/UXO threat in Kosovo were
neither unique nor particularly difficult compared to other country’s mine
action programmes.” The evaluation singled out Danish Church Aid, which
experienced seven accidents in less than 18 months. It said the HALO Trust
(four accidents and five injuries/deaths in 30 months), Mine Tech (four
accidents) and NPA (four accidents) all experienced accident rates higher than
normal for experienced operators. The MACC investigated all the incidents and
considered them to have been
preventable.[58] The
Praxis/UNMAS evaluation linked the high rate of deminer accidents with the issue
of missed mines/UXO devices in cleared areas.
Cluster bomblets pose an on-going clearance challenge. The MACC reported
that by the end of 2001 all of the 224 CBU-affected locations had been worked to
some extent but that 21 would require follow-up
work.[59] In February 2002, a
civilian was killed in Grmija by a cluster bomblet. Grmija is a popular
recreation sports and picnic spot on the outskirts of Pristina, that was
surface-cleared in July-September 1999 by BACTEC, followed by limited
sub-surface clearance in 2000. Since the incident, three KPC teams under HI
supervision were tasked with sub-surface clearance of this site, and 44 more
CBUs had been discovered and destroyed by April 2002. It is envisaged that the
KPC teams will continue working on this site until the end of
2002.[60]
Because all CBU strike sites could not be sub-surface cleared before winter
2001, the MACC instructed all teams to concentrate on sub-surface clearance of
high priority sites close to populated areas and to surface-clear as many other
sites as possible. The lower priority surface-cleared sites were marked and
listed for the KPC to work on in
2002.[61] Sub-surface bomblet
clearance on arable land became an issue of more concern early in 2002, when it
emerged that every three years farmers usually plough to a depth of 75
centimeters to refresh the topsoil. MACC operating standards have required land
to be searched to a depth of 50 centimeters, the normal ploughing depth in
Kosovo in most years.[62]
MINE AWARENESS/ MINE RISK EDUCATION
Between June 1999 and December 2001, 945 villages
and towns received community mine awareness training, 600 youth volunteers were
trained and 71,500 youths participated in mine awareness education, 278 Imams
and their wives were trained in mine awareness and 2,631 children were trained
in child-to-child mine awareness
activities.[63]
Mine awareness/mine risk education in 2001 continued to focus on community
support, training of key community members and adolescent children, support to
clearance organizations through the MAST (Mine Awareness Support Teams)
initiative and the implementation of Operation Normal
Life.[64]
MAST was initiated in 2000 due to confusion in some communities as to whether
mine/UXO clearance had taken place, the extent of clearance, the remaining
danger (if any) and similar issues. This arose mainly from the rapid tempo of
clearance in 2000, which made integration of clearance and awareness activities
difficult. Under the MAST program, “clearance organizations were
required, to the extent possible, to undertake their own community based mine
awareness liaison as an integral part of their mine/UXO clearance
activities.”[65]
Clearance agencies without staff available for such tasks were assigned MAST
teams from other NGOs. The process was formalized with the inclusion of a mine
awareness handover certificate as part of the quality assurance inspection
process.[66]
Operation Normal Life (ONL) started in September 2001 and was completed in
April 2002.[67] The MACC
described ONL as “an acknowledgement that during the initial stages of the
programme, mine awareness was not fully integrated with clearance activities.
This resulted in some villagers being unsure of the work conducted by the
clearance teams. If cleared land is not being used, then clearance has not
achieved the aim of returning land to normal use.” The goal was therefore
“to make all communities in Kosovo aware of the extent of mine action in
their area” ensuring that they had a chance to discuss “any issues
they may have in regards to mine action especially with regard to ‘pre
MAST’ days.”[68]
ONL was managed by the MACC in close coordination with UNICEF, and involved most
mine awareness agencies including KFOR contingents. Of 570 villages visited, 12
required remedial action and one unknown cluster strike site was
discovered.[69] Follow-up work
will be undertaken by KPC EOD
teams.[70]
Twelve organizations were accredited by the MACC to undertake mine risk
education during 2001, including two contingents of KFOR (British and Swedish),
as shown in the table
below.[71]
Mine Awareness/Mine Risk Education Organizations in Kosovo in 2001
Organization
Capacity
Remarks
ARKA
Operation Normal Life project
Funded by UNICEF
CARITAS
Operation Normal Life project
Operating in MNB (S)
DCA/ACT
MAST
Operation Normal Life project
Operating in support of clearance teams
Defense Systems Limited
MAST
Operation Normal Life project
Operating in support of clearance teams
HALO Trust
MAST
Operation Normal Life project
Bilateral agreement with AAR Japan. Operating in MNB (W) in support of
clearance teams
HI
MAST
Operating in support of clearance teams
HELP
MAST
Operating in support of survey teams
HMD Response
Community Liaison Teams
Senior partner MNB (S) funded by US State Department through ITF.
Education for adults and communities. Completed operations end-August.
ICRC
Safer Village community mine awareness teams
MAST
The ICRC teams also provided direct support to EMERCOM, Swiss Federation of
Demining and RONCO
INTERSOS
MAST
Operation Normal Life project
Operating in support of clearance teams
KFOR
Teams from UK and Sweden accredited to conduct Mine Awareness
Operation Normal Life project
Teams from each MNB were trained by SweMATT to conduct specific awareness
projects in schools
NPA
MAST
Operation Normal Life project
Senior Partner MNB(W) operated in support of NPA clearance operations
Following closure of the MACC in December 2001, it was intended that the
Ministry of Education would be the lead agency for mine awareness and public
information, partly because mine awareness was to be included in the new school
curriculum.[73] When it was
decided that mine awareness would not be in the curriculum, it was considered
better that the public information/mine awareness role remain within the
DCP.[74] Two local staff
employed in the public information role within the MACC were transferred to
similar duties in the DCP.[75]
UNICEF agreed to provide a consultant to support and train these staff within
six months of the handover, but as of April 2002, this had not been
implemented.[76]
Two KPC staff from each of the seven teams are being trained by the local
organization ARKA in MAST activities. Though originally scheduled to be
completed by the end of May 2002, the training did not begin until that
month.[77]
UNICEF and the Ministry of Education were piloting in early 2002 a curriculum
component called life skills, which would include mine awareness. This was
planned to be introduced in all schools in Kosovo for September
2002.[78]
LANDMINE/UXO CASUALTIES
Civilian deaths and injuries resulting from
landmine/UXO incidents continued to decline during 2001. According to MACC,
there were 17 incidents that caused 22 casualties, of whom nine were killed and
13 injured.[79] In 2000, there
were nine deaths and 84
injured.[80]
UXO incidents were more prevalent than mine or cluster bomblet incidents in
2001. There were five separate mine incidents, two bomblet incidents, and ten
UXO incidents. Most UXO injuries involved intentional handling of items,
indicating the need for continued public information campaigns on the dangers
posed by UXO. Of the casualties, mines were responsible for two deaths and
three injuries, cluster bomblets for three deaths, and UXO for four deaths and
ten injuries. During 2001, there was one female casualty, an injury caused by
UXO.[81]
According to ICRC data, eight people were killed and 22 injured in mine/UXO
incidents in 2001.[82] It is
not clear why there is a discrepancy between the MACC and ICRC statistics.
In April 2001, one British soldier was killed and two others injured when
their vehicle hit a landmine in southwestern
Kosovo.[83] In another incident
in June 2001, a US soldier was injured when he stepped on a
landmine.[84] The soldiers were
all part of the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. The incidents involving
KFOR personnel are apparently not included in the MACC casualty statistics.
Verified Civilian Mine/UXO Accidents in Kosovo June 1999-December
2001[85]
June-Dec 1999
Jan-Dec 2000
Jan-Dec 2001
June 1999-Dec 2001
Injured
267
84
13
364
Killed
74
9
9
92
Total
341
93
22
456
In February 2002, there were six civilian incidents, involving three deaths
and three injuries. One death resulted from handling a cluster bomblet, one
from a mine incident, and one from a hand grenade accidentally burnt with garden
rubbish.[86]
Casualties among deminers working for clearance agencies from June 1999 to
December 2001 totaled32 (including 14 traumatic amputations, one
fatality, one permanent incapacitation, and one loss of
sight).[87]
The ICRC provided support to the casualty surveillance system and maintained
the database up to the handover of the MACC in December
2001.[88] Responsibility for
casualty data collection was to pass from the ICRC to the Public Health
Institute (PHI) within the Ministry of Health Environment and Spatial
Planning.[89] The ICRC
conducted a data collection training seminar for PHI staff on 13 February 2002.
Initially, it was intended that a member of staff from each of the PHI’s
seven regional offices would undertake casualty data gathering. However, it
seems no reporting has taken
place.[90] As of early April
2002, no update of the IMSMA database had been supplied since November
2001.[91]
SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE
Kosovo has an extensive network of medical support
across the region, with hospitals in most major towns. Mine casualties can
generally reach some form of medical facility within a relatively short period
of time. However, the facilities that exist in the different locations can vary
widely, with Pristina Hospital the only hospital capable of handling major
trauma cases. KFOR units provide an evacuation capability as well as immediate
medical attention, particularly for serious
cases.[92]
The World Health Organization (WHO) made some contribution to the
reconstruction of Kosovo’s healthcare infrastructure. But, the healthcare
system remains poorly equipped to deal with trauma victims. There is little or
no capacity to provide rehabilitation, occupational therapy, or psychosocial
counseling. No investment was made in healthcare facilities for over a decade,
and current funding is
limited.[93]
The difficulties encountered in providing adequate survivor assistance in
Kosovo include: the absence of a social welfare system in Kosovo; uncoordinated
donor support; uncoordinated medical evacuation of survivors out of Kosovo and
the creation of expectations; low prioritization and understanding from the
government authorities; absence of immediate emergency care after an incident;
inappropriate care immediately after an incident, because of lack of expertise
or facilities; lack of facilities for the replacement of prostheses, especially
for growing children; and ongoing health and psychological
problems.[94]
The ICRC, in cooperation with National Societies, provided equipment,
training and technical support to Gjilan hospital and regional primary
healthcare facilities. Surgical instruments and equipment was also provided to
the Mitrovica hospital. Red Cross teams in the Mitrovica region received
training in emergency medical evacuations. In 2001, 52 war-wounded casualties,
including 32 mine/UXO casualties were treated. The ICRC reports that with NGOs
scaling down there activities in Kosovo, or leaving altogether, there are
increasing reports of civilians needing medical, surgical, and rehabilitation
assistance for war-related
injuries.[95]
Handicap International was appointed as the lead agency for victim assistance
by UNMIK in 2000, taking over this responsibility from the WHO. HI undertakes
support in cooperation with HandiKos, a local disability
NGO.[96]
HI operates a prosthetics workshop in Pristina with the capacity to produce
and fit lower limb prostheses. The workshop is the only such facility in
Kosovo, and has sufficient capacity to deal with the number of cases it
receives. However, it is very difficult for some patients to access the
facility on a regular basis, particularly those living in rural areas without
family and friends in
Pristina.[97] In 2001, HI
fitted 72 prostheses, distributed 290 wheelchairs and 460 crutches throughout
Kosovo, and supported physical rehabilitation at the Klokot Physical
Rehabilitation Center.[98]
According to HI, there are currently only 24 physiotherapists in Kosovo –
for a population of approximately two million. HI is seeking to support the
University in Pristina in strengthening the Physiotherapy Department and
developing training for physiotherapists to start in September 2002. In 2001,
360 landmine survivors benefited from the
program.[99] In 2001, HI
received funding support from DFID (UK), ECHO and the government of
Luxembourg.[100]
Mine/UXO survivors can also receive assistance from the ITF in Slovenia,
which has a specialist rehabilitation center in Ljubljana for mine survivors.
In 2001, 28 mine survivors from Kosovo were treated at the Slovenian
Rehabilitation
Institute.[101]
In February 2001, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) set up a mine victim
assistance program aimed at reducing the dependency of mine survivors and
assisting their reintegration into society. In 2001, the program operated in
Prizren where activities included assessment visits to 155 mine/UXO survivors of
which 59 were children, assistance with school materials, and the distribution
of food parcels and firewood to 30 families. The JRS program to assist women
with disabilities with training at the sewing center in Ferizai is in its second
year. Sixty women have completed the training and a new group started in
October 2001.[102]
The Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) survivor assistance program
ended on 28 February 2002, having been in Kosovo since November 1999. During
2001, the VVAF program provided psychosocial assistance to persons with
war-related disabilities, including mine survivors, their families and
communities, involved direct material assistance in food, medicine, or
transport, educated survivors on their rights, and designed sports and
recreational activities. In 2001 the program assisted 400 families, about 2,400
individuals. The program was budgeted at $595,000 with funds provided by UNICEF
and the ITF.[103] After the
program’s closure, VVAF presented each regional Center for Social Work
(CSW) with summaries of VVAF’s work with the families and recommended
follow-up action. The CSWs, a part of the UNMIK Department of Social Welfare,
have responsibility for ongoing support. According to VVAF, one of the great
successes of this program was enrolling all of its beneficiaries who qualified
with the CSWs. VVAF also enrolled its beneficiaries with
HandiKos.[104] In 2002, VVAF
started a new program called “Sports for Life,” which aims to
promote rehabilitation, rights, and reintegration for all persons with
disability, including mine
survivors.[105]
HI is concerned that, rather than seeking to establish sustainable programs
of rehabilitation in Kosovo, some organizations have sought to provide
assistance through transporting those requiring rehabilitation or prosthetics to
other countries. HI claims that such approaches are more expensive than local
solutions, often of limited benefit for the intended beneficiary, and work
against the reestablishment of an effective and well-funded Kosovo-based
rehabilitation capacity for mine
survivors.[106]
In its exit strategy the MACC acknowledged that “more emphasis will
need to be applied to rehabilitation and reintegration initiatives because of
the relatively low level of attention given to this aspect of mine action to
date.”[107] Under new
arrangements of the provisional self-government, the Department of Health and
Social Welfare has been split into the Ministry of Health, Environment and
Spatial Planning, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, which will
assume responsibility for the long-term aspects of survivor
assistance.[108]
Legislation has been introduced in Kosovo, which provides all mine survivors
with a small monthly
stipend.[109] HandiKos has been
instrumental in establishing the Disability Council and the appointment of a
Disability Adviser with the Prime Minister's Cabinet and the development of a
Comprehensive Disability Policy Framework document, which is currently in the
process of validation.[110]
[1] For details of events leading to the
administration of Kosovo as a separate entity, see Landmine Monitor Report 2000,
p. 874, and Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 948-949.
[2] “Report of the
Secretary-General on the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo,” UN
Security Council, 15 January 2002. [3]
The Kosovo Protection Corps is an unarmed but uniformed body of 3,000 ex-members
of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The KPC reports to the new UNMIK Directorate of
Civil Protection (DCP), previously the Department of Civil Security and
Emergency Preparedness. See, “Report of the Secretary-General on the UN
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo,” UN Security Council, 15 January
2002. [4] See Landmine Monitor Report
2000, pp. 876-878, and Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp.
949-951. [5] For details of landmine/UXO
casualties in Kosovo, see later section. For landmine/UXO casualties in
southern Serbia, see report of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia/Serbia and
Montenegro in this edition of the Landmine
Monitor. [6] “UNMIK-KFOR-UNMIK
Police-UNHCR Press Briefing,” UNMIK, 9 July
2001. [7] “Monthly Report to the
UN on KFOR Operations, 1-30 September,” 23 October
2001. [8] “Three Injured after
Booby Trap Explosion in Kosovo,” Agence France Presse, 21 January 2002.
[9] “UNMIK-KFOR-UNMIK
Police-UNHCR Press Briefings,” UNMIK, 9 and 16 July, 9 and 20 August, 1
October, 3 December 2001; Monthly Reports to the UN on KFOR Operations, 1-30
September 2001, 1-30 November 2001, 1-28 February 2002, 1-30 April 2002;
“Report of the Secretary-General on the UN Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo,” UN Security Council, 23 October 2001, 25 January 2002, 9 April
2002, 4 June 2002. [10] “Top UN
Official in Kosovo Welcomes Weapon Amnesty Programme,” UN News Service, 11
March 2002. Exchange rate at 29 April 2002: US$1 = €0.898, used
throughout this report. On 1 January 2002 the euro became Kosovo’s main
currency. [11] “Monthly Report to
the UN on KFOR Operations, 1-30 April 2002;” “Report of the
Secretary-General on the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo,” UN
Security Council, 4 June 2002. [12]
“UN Set to Transfer Demining Activities to Kosovo Authorities,” UN
News Service, 14 December 2001. [13]
“UNMIK Mine Action Programme Annual Report – 2001,” MACC, p.
1. For details of the MACC, see Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 882-884, and
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp.
952-955. [14] “Support to the
UNMIK Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Management Cell in Kosovo,” UNMAS,
15 December 2001. [15] Interview with
Steven Saunders, EOD Operations Officer, DCP, Pristina, 15 April
2002. [16] “Remaining Tasks in MNB
Order, Amendment Six,” MACC, Pristina, 12 March
2002. [17] Interview with Steven
Saunders, DCP, 15 April 2002; “UNMIK Mine Action Programme – Annual
Report 2001,” para. 10. [18]
Grmija Task dossier, viewed 15 April 2002; see later section on Mine/UXO
clearance. [19] “The Mine Action
Programme in Kosovo/Background,” MACC,
undated. [20] Email from Steven
Saunders, EOD Operations Officer, DCP, Pristina, 9 May
2002. [21] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras. 24 and
25. [22] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen: an Evaluation of the United Nations Mine Action
Programme in Kosovo 1999-2001,” 12 February 2002, p.
9. [23] Ibid., pp.
5-10. [24] Ibid., p.
10. [25] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, p.
4. [26] “Support to the UNMIK
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Management Cell in Kosovo,” UN Mine
Action Service, 15 December 2001. [27]
The Praxis Group Ltd, “Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, p.
19. [28] HI, “Work Plan For
EAR-Funded Mine Action Project – August 2001 to September 2002,” 14
April 2002, p. 4. HI was funded to carry out the training, supervision and
management support by the European Agency for Reconstruction. If further
funding is obtained, HI will be requested to continue with a reduced presence
after September 2002. “UNMIK Mine Action Programme Annual Report
2001,” MACC, para. 22, and interview with Driton Ukmata, Director, HI,
Pristina, 15 April 2002. [29]
“UNMIK Mine Action Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, para.
23. [30] Emails from Lance Malin, Mine
Action Program Manager, HI, 8 May 2002, and from Steven Saunders, EOD Operations
Officer, DCP, 9 May 2002. [31]
UNMIK/REG/1999/8, 20 September
1999. [32] “Support to the UNMIK
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Management Cell in Kosovo,” UNMAS, 15
December 2001. [33] Interview with Nora
Demiri, Mine Awareness Officer, ICRC Kosovo, Pristina, 19 February
2002. [34] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, p.
83. [35] Interview with Lance Malin,
Mine Action Program Manager, HI, Pristina, 13 April
2002. [36] Interview with Steven
Saunders, DCP, 15 April 2002. [37]
Interview with Lance Malin, HI, 13 April
2002. [38] Interview with David Hare,
Technical Advisor, HI, 14 April
2002. [39] Email from Paul Collinson,
former Kosovo Program Manager for Norwegian People’s Aid, 8 April 2002;
interview with Lance Malin, Mine Action Program Manager, HI, Pristina, 13 April
2002; interview with Ronen Shimoni, Administrator, HALO Trust, Pristina, 19
April 2002. The quote is from “UNMIK Mine Action Programme Annual Report
2000,” MACC, January 2001, p.
1. [40] Email to Landmine Monitor from
Eva Veble, Head of International Relations, ITF, 5 June
2002. [41] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, para. 48, Annex
G. [42] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras
6,7. [43] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, pp.
85-97. [44] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, pp.
85-87. [45] Ibid., pp. 20-24, 90-93.
The MACC Annual Report for 2001, Annex G, shows that the VTF received $10.6
million for Kosovo by the end of 2001; the difference is accounted for by
$639,000 of unearmarked VTF funds.
[46] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, pp.
94-95. [47] Ibid., pp.
95-97. [48] Ibid., pp.
8-9. [49] Ibid., p.
18. [50] Ibid., pp. 59-62. See also
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp.
958-960. [51] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras. 24,
25. [52] Interview with Steven Saunders,
DCP, 15 April 2002; interview with Lance Malin, HI, 13 April
2002. [53] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, para 9. Landmine Monitor has added
in to the cluster bomblet total the 7,455 cleared by KFOR.
[54] Interview with Steven Saunders,
DCP, 15 April 2002. [55] “UNMIK
Mine Action Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, para 9. The 8.1 square
kilometers cleared in 2001 compares to 19.4 square kilometers cleared in
2000. [56] “Concept of Operations
for Mine UXO Clearance in 2001,” MACC, September
2000. [57] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras 6, 7.
[58] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, pp.
77-78. [59] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, para. 15.
[60] Grmija Task Dossier, viewed 15
April 2002; interview with John Hare, Technical Advisor, HI, Pristina, 15 April
2002; interview with Ronen Shimoni, Administrator, HALO Trust, Pristina, 19
April 2002. [61] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2001, p. 963; email from Lance Malin, Mine Action Program Manager, HI, 8
May 2002. [62] Interview with Steven
Saunders, DCP, 15 April 2002. [63]
Interview with Miranda Shala, Mine Awareness Officer, UNICEF, Pristina, 12 April
2002. [64] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, para 26.
[65] Ibid., paras 27-28; interview with
Leonie Barnes, Public Information Officer, MACC, Geneva, 12 November
2001. [66] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, para
28. [67] Adrian Sahatciu, “Final
report on the Outcome of Project Normal Life,” ARKA, Pristina
(undated). [68] “Guidelines for
Project Normal Life,” MACC, Pristina (undated), p.
1. [69] Discovered by ARKA in Peje.
Information received in interview with Sgt. P. McCullough, KFOR, Prizren, 18
April 2002. [70] “UNMIK Mine
Action Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras. 33-35; interview with
Sgt. P. McCullough, KFOR, Prizren, 18 April 2002.
[71] “UNMIK Mine Action Programme
Annual Report 2001,” MACC, Annex
F. [72] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, pp. 51,
63. [73] “UNMIK MACC Exit Strategy
Discussion Paper,” MACC, 3 January 2001, p.
10. [74] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras.
30-32. [75] Interview with Rajmonda
Thaqi, Mine Awareness Assistant, and Bajram Krasniqi, Public Information, DCP,
Pristina, 15 April 2002; interview with Miranda Shala, UNICEF, 12 April 2002;
interview with Nora Demiri, Mine Awareness Officer, ICRC, Pristina 19 April
2002. [76] “Post MACC exit
strategy for UNICEF Kosovo,” UNICEF, November 2001; interview with Miranda
Shala, Mine Awareness Officer, UNICEF, Pristina, 12 April
2002. [77] “Country Updates
Delivered to the Mine Action Support Group – Kosovo,” in
“Things That Go Bang!” (UNICEF e-bulletin), Issue Four, 13 May
2002. [78] Interview with Miranda Shala,
UNICEF, 12 April 2002. [79] “UNMIK
Mine Action Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras. 36-38; this data
does not include deminers/EOD staff and is for the year to 15 December, the date
of the handover of the MACC
responsibilities. [80] See table below,
“Verified Civilian Mine/UXO Accidents in Kosovo June 1999-December
2001.” [81] “UNMIK Mine
Action Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras. 36-38.
[82] ICRC, “ICRC Mine/UXO
Awareness Programmes: Mine incidents in South Eastern Europe,” 28 January
2002. The ICRC figures also do not include accidents involving mine/UXO
clearance staff. [83] Stefan Racin,
“British Soldier Dies in Kosovo Mine Blast,” UPI, 14 April
2001. [84] “2 U.S. Soldiers Hurt
in Mideast,” Associated Press, 25 June
2001. [85] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, p. 73; “UNMIK Mine
Action Programme Annual Report 2000,” MACC, p. 4; “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras.
36-38. [86] Interviews with Rajmonda
Thaqi, Mine Awareness Assistant, and Bajram Krasniqi, Public Information
Assistant, DCP, Pristina, 15 April
2002. [87] “Summary of Lessons
Learnt of the Mine/UXO Accidents in Kosovo,” MACC, 1 November
2001. [88] Interview with Nora Demiri,
ICRC, 19 April 2002. [89]
“Mine/UXO Victim Assistance in Kosovo: Roles And Responsibilities of Local
Government Departments and Supporting Organizations,” MACC, 13 December
2001. [90] Interview with Nora Demiri,
ICRC, 19 February 2002. [91] Interview
with Lance Malin, Mine Action Program Manager, HI, Pristina, 13 April
2002. [92] “UNMIK MACC Exit
Strategy Discussion Paper,” 3 January 2001, p.
11. [93] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, p.
103. [94] Driton Ukmata, Program
Director, Handicap International Kosovo, presentation at the ITF Workshop on
Assistance to Landmine Survivors and Victims in South-Eastern Europe: Defining
Strategies for Success, Ig, Slovenia, 1 July
2002. [95] ICRC Special Report, Mine
Action 2001, ICRC, Geneva, July 2002, pp.
35-36. [96] Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 969. [97] “UNMIK MACC
Exit Strategy Discussion Paper,” 3 January 2001, p.
11. [98] Interview with Driton Ukmata,
HI, 15 April 2002; and response to Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance
Questionnaire, 19 July 2002. [99]
Ibid. [100] Interview with Driton
Ukmata, HI, 15 April 2002. [101]
“Annual Report 2001,” International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine
Victims Assistance, p. 22. [102]
“Annual Report 2001,” Jesuit Refugee Service, p.
57. [103] Robert Schmidt Jr, Head of
Mission, VVAF, Pristina, Response to Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance
Questionnaire, 18 February 2002. [104]
Email to Landmine Monitor (HIB) from Robert Schmidt Jr, Head of Mission, VVAF,
Pristina, 19 February 2002. [105] Sarah
Warren, Program Development Officer, VVAF, presentation at the ITF Workshop on
Assistance to Landmine Survivors and Victims in South-Eastern Europe: Defining
Strategies for Success, Ig, Slovenia, 1 July
2002. [106] Interview with Driton
Ukmata, HI, 15 April 2002. These views were also expressed by other
participants at the ITF Workshop on Assistance to Landmine Survivors and Victims
in South-Eastern Europe: Defining Strategies for Success, Ig, Slovenia, 1-2 July
2002. [107] “UNMIK MACC Exit
Strategy Discussion Paper,” 3 January 2001, p. 13.
[108] “UNMIK Mine Action
Programme Annual Report 2001,” MACC, paras.
39-43. [109] The Praxis Group Ltd,
“Willing To Listen,” 12 February 2002, p.
84. [110] Driton Ukmata, Handicap
International Kosovo, presentation at the ITF Workshop, Slovenia, 1 July
2002.
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