The Government of Japan has renewed its commitment to promote social stabilization for the people of Iraq by donating USD 4,347,100 to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to mitigate the threat of explosive hazards in the country.
With this contribution, UNMAS will provide risk education, survey and clearance operations and support the training of first- responder community policing capacity.
UNMAS is now able to extend risk education campaigns to reach people at risk in priority areas.
Since 17 October 2016, at least 2,400 explosive incidents have been reported and over 200,000 people have been displaced from Mosul. Life-saving risk education helps raise awareness of the dangers of explosive hazards and teach people how to behave if they encounter such items.
Providing the first- responder training courses will strengthen local security sector services to respond to explosive hazards. The first- responder community police will enable immediate response to any explosive hazards being found while creating a self-sustainable explosive hazards threat mitigation capacity in local communities.
Survey and clearance operations are the foundation of the Government and United Nations stabilization efforts. These activities are a precursor to resumption of government services including health, education, electrical power supply and water distribution which will promote the normalization of community life.
H.E. Mr. Fumio Iwai, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Iraq, said “this assistance shows Japan’s strong and faithful commitment to addressing stabilization in the liberated areas as part of a new package of humanitarian, counter-terrorism and community stabilization support to Iraq amounting to around USD100million,” appraising the role of UNMAS in facilitating the return of displaced people.
Mr. Pierre Lemelin, Senior Programme Manager, UNMAS Iraq, emphasised that “UNMAS appreciates Japan’s continuous commitment to support humanitarian mine action in Iraq. The contribution will certainly help the people of Iraq to stabilize the country.”
2017 marks twenty years since the adoption of the Mine Ban Treaty, establishing a global norm against the use of anti-personnel landmines. Over this period, Japan has been a consistent advocate and supporter of mine action activities.
Since 1998, the Government of Japan has contributed USD 186 million to UNMAS global activities through the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action, enabling the delivery of projects to reduce the threat of explosive hazards to millions of men, women and children across the world.
For more information please contact:
Pierre Lemelin, Programme Manager, UNMAS Iraq, lemelin@un.org
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