Afghanistan, DRC sign $4.13 million mine-action agreements

Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) and the Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) Mine Action organization have signed two memorandums of understanding worth a combined $4.13 million to clear landmines and explosive remnants of war and support victims.

The agreements were signed during a meeting between ANDMA Director General Mullah Nooruddin Turabi and DRC Mine Action Director General J. Opreti, ANDMA said on Thursday.

Under the first agreement, worth $2.27 million, DRC will conduct mine-action activities in 13 provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Nangarhar. The project will survey and clear 20 contaminated sites covering about 649,000 square metres and carry out 574 urgent explosive ordnance disposal tasks.

The project will also provide mine-risk education to more than 400,000 people and cash assistance to 40 mine and explosive-remnant victims.

A second agreement, valued at $1.86 million, covers mine-action activities in Kabul, Kandahar, Nimroz and Nangarhar. It includes the survey and clearance of about 885,000 square metres of contaminated land and mine-risk education for 233,000 Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan.

DRC will also provide cash assistance, psychosocial support and social-cohesion programmes for victims in the four provinces.

ANDMA said the projects aim to reduce the risks posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war, protect civilians and enable the safe use of cleared land.