Mine Action reduces operations by 50 percent

The Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan began cutting down its operations by 50 percent due to a lack of funding. According to a report on 1 September by the UN Office for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan OCHA): “This cut-back means that mine survey, clearance and mine awareness activities will be substantially reduced during the last third of the year, on top of previous reductions earlier this year when the funding shortfall started to become apparent.” In addition to operational teams being sent on two months’ of unpaid leave over the next four months, other salaries will be reduced or frozen. Furthermore, headquarters and field office staff will be sent on unpaid leave, reducing their saleries by 40 percent. Polly Brennen, Mine Awareness Advisor to the Mine Action Programme, blamed the lack of funds on “donor fatigue” with Afghanistan: “The international community does not always understand that despite the conflict we have been able to conduct successful mine action operations for the past decade.” She added that since the time of the Ottawa Treaty against land mines in 1997-98, global funding for mine action had declined dramatically. According to the report, due to cost-cutting measures introduced throughout this year, only US $3.5 million was needed to conduct full mine operations for the remainder of the year.