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More than 280,000 people in Chad live in communities affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance. |
The problem
As a result of three decades of conflicts, vast stretches of Chad are contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). In all, more than 280,000 of the country's 10 million population live in affected communities.
These remnants of conflict pose a daily threat. They maim, kill, obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid, and impede development and reconstruction initiatives, by blocking access to pastures, water points, roads and economic hubs.
The 1999-2001 Landmine Impact Survey estimated in the region of 670km2 of Suspect Hazardous Areas, excluding the northern Tibesti region. And while this is generally recognised to overstate the problem, the precise extent of contamination remains to be quantified.
Chad ratified the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Mines and Their Destruction on 6 May 1999 and was subsequently granted an extension at the 10th MSP in November 2010. Chad is currently obliged to complete the destruction of anti-personnel mines in mined areas in accordance with article 5.1 of the Ottawa treaty by 1 January 2014.
Your donation to MAG helps us to move into current and former conflict zones to clear the remnants of conflict, enabling recovery and assisting the development of affected populations.
How MAG is helping
Five clearance teams worked in Wadi Doum, the country's biggest minefield, from September 2010 to 31 May 2011 in close cooperation with the Chadian national demining centre (Centre National de Déminage) with the following results:
• 209,366 m2 of mined land cleared;
• 1,158 anti-personnel mines destroyed;
• 1,165 anti-tank mines destroyed;
• 150 kg of UXO destroyed.
Two mobile survey teams were deployed in the northern, north-eastern and south-eastern regions of Chad, to implement technical and non-technical surveys in N’Djamena, Hadjer-Lamis, Borkou (excluding the most northern area), parts of the Ennedi region and Salamat. These teams:
• Marked 32,743,169 m2 of dangerous areas;
• Cleared 818,142 m2 of dangerous areas;
• Destroyed 238 mines;
• Destroyed 7,336 items (3,356kg) of UXO.
We also implemented a general assessment mission into the Tibesti mountains in February 2011.
A 13-month project funded by UNDP closed on 30 June 2011. MAG is seeking further support for:
• Manual and mechanical clearance of a minefield near Fada in the Ennedi region;
• Continued survey activities;
• Risk Education activities;
• Assessment and clearance support to humanitarian activities in northern Chad following the influx of Chadian returnees from Libya.
Beneficiaries
Local and displaced communities are given a safer living environment and improved access to their homes and agricultural lands. Clearance of water points removes a threat to their safety, and enables the wells to be used once more as a source of water for themselves and their animals.
In 2009, more than 2,500 dangerous items were cleared from Kouba Olanga in the Sahara – the last water point for at least 300 kilometres in all directions – making the town and water point safe for 2,000-3,000 members of the local and nomadic population.
Beneficiaries also include Centre National de Déminage staff,
whose skills and experience are developed, and other emergency
relief and development organisations who will obtain safer and easier
access to communities in need in the region.
Find out more
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Our thanks to the donors to MAG's Chad programme: International Organisation for Migration; UNDP.
June 2011
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