This IssueSirte Suffer ing From Fal lout P.1

Weekly News Roundup P.2DDG Gets Sett led in Sir te P.2

DCA Reconnaissance in Bani Waled P.3ICRC Clears ERW in Two Areas P.4

MAG Clears ERW and Promotes RE P.4HI Boosts Risk Educat ion P.5

JMACT Operat ions by Locat ion P.5Landmine Monitor Launched P.6JMACT Impact By Numbers P.6

Sirte Suffering From Post-conflict FalloutLibya faces a significant Mine and Explosive

Remnants of War (ERW) threat following the

recent conflict, but perhaps hardest hit of the

country was Sirte, a city of approximately

35,000 that lies on the south coast of the

Gulf of Sidra, halfway between Tripoli and

Benghazi.

On 20 October, after suffering massive casualties and

damage during a siege that lasted over a month, NTC

fighters finally managed to capture the city.

Sirte, however, was left heavily damaged and the

humanitarian challenges remain pressing. Since

access to the area opened up, the Joint Mine Action

Coordination Team (JMACT) conducted an assess-

ment mission to identify the levels of contamination

and work with the local Military Committee and JMACT

Implementing Partners on the ground to determine a

response.

Currently operating in Sirte are teams from the ICRC,

and DDG, with MAG and FSD planning to be opera-

tional within the next few days. JMACT is meanwhile

providing the necessary problem solving, liaising with

Sirte authorities, and developing unified approaches to

operational requirements such as accommodation and

security.

The first coordination meeting for Sirte was held over

the weekend, and will be a regular weekly occurrence

after that. It is here that JMACT will work with its part-

ners to determine priorities and assign specific tasks.

The extent of the contamination remains severe, in par-

ticular where the last stages of the conflict were fought.

An additional threat remains the damage that many

buildings in Sirte sustained, which presents a security

risk to locals and humanitarian workers alike.

After the initial JMACT assessment, it was found that

the local hospital in Sirte was indeed capable of provid-

ing the necessary medical support, such as being able

to stabilize a traumatic amputation or treating life-threat-

ening injuries. Similarly, the local airport was found to

be of sufficient capacity to host a small air ambulance.

Due to the continued threat and the risk it poses to

the local community, JMACT is planning to open a

sub-office in Sirte to provide a full-time presence and

coordinate the response.

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Weekly News Roundup

Libya displays evidence of clus-

ter mines (Aljazeera, 25.11.11)

EU-ACP Assembly: Libyan

weapons threaten security in

the Sahel region (iOnGlobal-

Trends, 24.11.11)

Libya returns to 5+5 defence

meeting (Magharebia, 22.11.11)

Libya May Have Received

Shells for Chemical Weapons

From Iran, Report says (FOX,

21.11.11)

Libya’s vanquished people face

twin threats (Daily Maverick,

21.11.11)

Video: Libya’s Leftover

Weapons Arming Gaza Militants

(UPI, 19.11.11)

The Spread of Weapons

in Libya Threatens Tunisia

(Tunisia Live, 18.11.11)

Video: Disposal team detonates

Tripoli bomb (Reuters, 18.11.11)

On the trail of Libya’s missing

missiles (BBC, 18.11.11)

Libya weapons still unaccount-

ed for (BBC, 18.11.11)

Arms to Disappear from the

Capital Tripoli as Country

Moves Toward Stability, Belhaj

(The Tripoli Post, 17.11.11)

Danish Demining Group

deployed to Tripoli, Libya in

September 2011. Co-located

with its parent organization, the

Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

DDG set out to try and secure

funding to enable an operation

to start in the country. After

much effort, ECHO agreed to

fund the organization to supply

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Rapid Response (EOD RR)

Teams to Sirte.

DDG have been active in and around

the city since the 14 November, car-

rying out surveys and EOD spot tasks

resulting in approximately 183 items

(not including Small Arms) being

removed from the city.

One of the main problems that has

been encountered so far is being

able to keep up with the demand

from the community for work to be

carried out.

Volunteers are taking it upon them-

selves to “clean” the streets of

UXO and rubble and in one case a

man, who was moving rubble with

his excavator experienced the dan-

ger of these items as it detonated

and destroyed the front end of his

machine. Such is the resolve of the

Libyan people here, that he immedi-

ately jumped from his machine, took

up a shovel and started moving the

rubble by hand.

At this time, DDG work

continues as they com-

plete the required sur-

vey of the city and the

seemingly never-ending

EOD spot tasks.

As a follow up to this

there will be a require-

ment for Battle Area

Clearance teams to

search the outskirts of

the town for remaining

items.

The DDG medical coor-

dinator is meanwhile

continuing with the medi-

cal training for the newly

appointed operational medical sup-

port staff.

For more information on DDG, visit

their website at http://www.danishde-

mininggroup.dk/.

Dispatches From The Field

JMACT partners report back on their weekly activities and impact

DDG gets settled in Sirte

DDG Medical Coordinator, Karl Palm, instruct-ing the newly appointed Operational Medical Staff in the finer points of Trauma Management.

ABOUT JMACT What we do

The Joint Mine Action

Coordination Team, a partnering

of the UN and international NGOs,

presents a coordinated mine

action response to the explosive

remnants of war threat in Libya.

This threat, which includes the

large amount of ammunition that

is freely accessible and in poor

storage conditions, has drastically

increased following the recent

conflict, and has implications for

not only the Libyan people, but

also for the international commu-

nity. JMACT provides coordina-

tion, prioritizes clearance tasks,

mobilizes resources and liaises

with the appropriate authorities

in Libya. JMACT Headquarters is

located in Tripoli, with operational

offices in Benghazi and Misrata

as well as a logistics hub in Malta.

For More InformationContact us

In Tripoli:

Max Dyck | UNMAS Programme

Manager | maximilliand@unops.

org | +218 919357712

Stefanie Carmichael | UNMAS

Communications Officer |

stefaniec@unops.org | +218

919471003

In New York:

Amy White | UNMAS

Programme Officer | white9@

un.org | +1 917 3673953

Bani Waled (BW) was liberated on

17-18 October after intense fighting

during its last weeks. According to a

UNOCHA Technical Mission to BW

on 25-26 October, only 30% of its

population of 70-80,000 remained.

UNOCHA reports “de-contamination

of ERW/UXO and RE are the most

urgent needs due to the high level of

contamination and the risk this poses

to the population.” The ICRC, which

has been operating in BW, says their

capacity is insufficient to handle the

threat.

To that end, Danish Church Aid con-

ducted a reconnaissance mission to

BW from 21-22 November to estab-

lish ties with the Local and Military

Counsel, ICRC, and Civil Defence.

They wanted to survey the possibility

for medical support from the local hos-

pital, the evacuation route to and from

BW, conduct an initial assessment on

the level of contamination and estab-

lish priorities.

The Military and Local Councils urged

the mine action actors to establish

operation immediately. Despite an

ongoing local initiative from Civil

Defence to clear ERW, there is no mili-

tary capacity and no formal training to

do so. A cache has been established in

the center of BW where Civil Defence

gathers UXOs at great risk to the

population. DCA was approached and

requested to dispose of it.

The DCA Medical Advisory found the

BW Hospital suitable for medical assis-

tance. The military airport, despite

technical shortfalls, was found capable

of handling daylight approach.

ERW/UXO Contamination

BW suffers from ERW/UXO contami-

nation following the directions of the

fighting. The contamination is limited

to certain areas especially following

the main access route from the north,

and the main road from the east with

entry on the south side of the town. The

areas along these access routes held

by the rebel forces in the last weeks of

fighting are densely populated.

From a humanitarian ERW clearance

point of view, the limited destruction, but

yet high contamination is an extremely

dangerous combination. IDPs return-

ing to a ‘’not so bad’’ environment

pose the risk of exposing themselves

to extreme danger

when resettling.

Risk Education

will be of utmost

importance and

availability of a

competent EOD

capacity likewise.

Results To Date

DCA requested assistance from the

local authorities to find a suitable place

to set up a meeting point for the popu-

lation to report on UXOs. DCA was

given an office at the Local Council free

of charge, and delegated one person

to assist DCA in the initial phase in

information gathering.

DCA was given permission to establish

a Central Disposal Site at the airport.

DCA has gathered information of the

main direction of the battle, known con-

frontation lines, and a general ERW/

UXO contamination in those surround-

ing areas.

DCA has also, in cooperation with

ICRC, had a radio spot broadcasted

with general Risk Education and infor-

mation on how/where to report on

UXOs.

For more information on DCA, visit

their website at http://www.dan-

churchaid.org/.

DCA Conducts Reconnaissance in Bani Waled

A small selection of UXOs collected by Civil Defense, now controlled by DCA

A satellite image of Bani Waled showing the access route from the north, east and the large residential area to the west of the center

Soliman Abdellatif was working

as a policeman at the border

between Libya and Egypt. He

was patrolling at night checking

for smugglers when he stepped

on a mine. When the accident

happened he was alone and

had to wait for 12 hours before

somebody came and rescued

him.

The ICRC had one of its

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

(EOD) teams working in

Bani Waled, from Sunday to

Wednesday. Protective work was

done at the Central Disposal

Site. However, a planned demo-

lition was cancelled due to a lack

of explosives.

The second ICRC EOD team con-

tinued with work in Sirte area from

Monday to Thursday. They cleared

roads, houses, and Ibn Sina Hospital.

In total they removed 102 UXOs, four

x AP Frag mines. 15 fuses and 70 SAA

were also collected.

ICRC also launched a radio campaign

on five stations across Libya to raise

mine awareness. However, its Risk

Education teams remained focused

on Bani Waled and Sirte, training nine

new volunteers at the Bani Waled Red

Crescent Branch. They conducted

radio interview and distributed materi-

als to the mosque authorities.

For more information on the ICRC, visit

their website at http://www.icrc.org/.

ICRC Clears ERW In Sirte and Bani Waled

MAG Clears ERW and Promotes Risk Education

During the week, MAG teams

found a total of 5,242 items:

3,328 UXO and 1,560 SAA were

found in Ajdabiya and Brega; 64

UXO and 273 SAA were found

in Misrata; and seven UXO were

removed in Zintan. All items

found were moved to central

demolition sites for safe storage

and destruction at a later date.

In Brega, MAG cleared a home where

a man had children so he was worried

about keeping the items where the

children could find them. MAG also

cleared an old industrial compound in

Bisha meaning that development could

start in this area and workers are safe

to work.

In Ajdabiya and the surrounding towns

and Misrata, the impact of clearance

was to reduce the threat to life and

limb of resident communities, in par-

ticular those with ERW in their homes

and those travelling through the area,

including IDPs from Sirte.

I n

Misrata,

c l e a r -

a n c e

a l l o w s

f a r m -

ers to

a c c e s s

t h e i r

l a n d

s a f e l y

again. CL

and RE activities are reducing the risk

taking behavior of local communities

and collating data on Dangerous Areas

for clearance and incidents resulting

for contamination.

1,059 individuals in the Western

Mountains and in the Ajdabiya area

benefitted from Risk Education

Activities. CLOs in Ajdabiya met with

members of the local community, Red

Crescent, Ajdabiya College to discuss

means of working with groups to con-

duct Risk Education. The CLOs pro-

vided their first RE sessions to schools

and also gave an interview on the local

radio on RE.

In Zintan and Western Libya, 67 RE

were conducted, while 1,323 RE mate-

rials were distributed in the towns dur-

ing the week. Meanwhile, MAG also

had a meeting with the local radio sta-

tion in Jadu to follow up on the broad-

casting of a MAG RE radio talk show. It

was agreed that the show will continue

daily until the end of December.

For more information on MAG, visit

their website at http://www.maginter-

national.org/.

MAG conducts UXO Surface Area Clearance in Almagdar district, Misrata.

HI Boosts Mine Risk Education in Misrata and Zliten

Handicap International Community

Liaison Officer (CLO) teams have

been mostly working in Karzaz,

supporting MAG clearance teams.

They also checked and reported on

ERW reported through the hotline in

Karzaz, Dafnia and Zarouq.

One new CLO has been employed,

which makes now three CLO complete

teams. The recruitment process is still

ongoing. Two CLO are most probably

restarting university next week.

Mine Risk Education

HI organized three Risk Education

(RE) trainings in Misrata this week. Six

volunteers were trained and joined the

RE teams.

15 Scouts Leaders were trained to be

able to integrate UXO-RE activities

in their daily activities with Misrata

Scouts.

HI has been invited by DCA for a

four-hour RE training included in DCA

four-day training on child protection

addressed to 15 teachers from 10 dif-

ferent schools. The teams also gave

RE sessions to women and children

groups.

In Zliten, scouts organized RE ses-

sions and recreational activities in one

school, reaching more than 200 chil-

dren.

They also worked on preparing their

RE stand for the Zliten exhibition open-

ing on 27 November.

On the Hotline, four Dangerous Areas

were reported; the ERW have been

checked and reported by the HI CLO.

For more information on HI, visit their

website at http://www.handicap-inter-

national.org/.

JMACT Operations By Location

Handicap International volun-

teers give Mine Risk Education

to a group of Internally Displaced

children in a Youth Hostel

Association place in Benghazi

city.

MRE consists of playing differ-

ent games that help the children

to understand the dancers and

the different types of UXO and

landmines.

JMACT Impact By Numbers

Falling Short In Libya’s Fight Against

Mines: New Report Highlights the Threat

TRIPOLI, Libya (26 November 2011) - The conflict in Libya may

be over, but Libyan families are still suffering from the explosive

remnants of the war, as the newly released 2011 Landmine and

Cluster Munition Monitor Report makes clear. Compounding

the threat are the insufficient resources of the Joint Mine Action

Coordination Team (JMACT), the organization responsible for

coordinating the international response to the problem in Libya,

to manage it.

The Report is an initiative of the International Campaign to Ban

Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC),

providing a global overview of developments in mine ban policy,

contamination, clearance, casualties, and victim assistance. It

shows how Libya, which is not a State Party to the Mine Ban

Treaty, stockpiled hundreds of thousands of antipersonnel and

antivehicle mines during Gaddafi’s reign. The situation became

more complex as NTC forces took control of the country, put-

ting these mines and other weapons into the hands of rebels

and civilians.

While the country’s new National Transitional Council has dem-

onstrated the political will to solve the problem, its capacity to

do so, along with the JMACT, a partnering of the United Nations

and International NGOs to present a coordinated response to

this threat, is far from sufficient to meet the extensive need.

Since April 2011, the JMACT and its partners have cleared

more than 72,411 Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), provided

Risk Education to 23,095 people, and cleared 58 schools and

2,574 houses of ERW.

In 2012, the JMACT esti-

mates that over $18M will

be required to ensure that

c l ea rance and ammunition

m a n a g e - ment activities

can continue in the East and West of the country, which were

among the hardest hit during the war. Without those funds, the

country will not be able to rebuild as it should, and mines will

continue to take the lives and limbs of innocent victims.

“This is not a Libyan problem,” says Programme Manager for

the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Libya, Max

Dyck. “This is a global problem that demands a global solution.

Governments around the world need to take action before it

becomes too late.”

JMACT Libya Weekly 28 November 2011

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2011 Landmine Monitor Report

Read it here

Number of Clearance Teams 10

Number of Risk Education Teams 25

Number of ERW cleared since April 2011 77,943

Number of Direct Beneficiaries of Risk Education since April 2011 24,623

Number of ERW-affected Schools Cleared since April 2011 58

Number of Houses Cleared since April 2011 2605

Number of Internationals Working in Libya 41

Number of National Staff 319

This is a global problem that

demands a global solution