Landmines and unexploded bombs can remain in the ground for decades after a conflict has ended. Every day, 13 people are killed or injured by these indiscriminate weapons. Almost half of civilian casualties are children.

MAG finds and clears landmines, cluster munitions, and unexploded bombs and returns safe land to communities, enabling them to build a safer and more sustainable future.

We use a combination of methods and tools to detect and destroy landmines, cluster bombs and other unexploded weapons, including manual deminers, machinery and mine detection dogs. The approach used varies depending on a number of factors, including terrain, vegetation, and the level and type of contamination.

This is careful and painstaking work. Manual demining involves checking minefields metre by metre using metal detectors and a variety of excavation tools.

A range of mechanical resources and technologies helps us increase the speed and effectiveness of landmine clearance in certain circumstances. Our fleet of specialised armoured machines prepares ground for clearance, removing vegetation and obstacles, and in some cases finding and destroying landmines directly.

Our mine detection dogs are trained to “sniff out” explosives and alert their handler, making them a valuable part of our mine clearance toolbox. 

Our community liaison staff are the eyes and ears of MAG. They work with local communities, agencies and authorities to understand where landmines and unexploded bombs are located and how their presence affects people’s lives, work and play. Working in this way helps us to ensure that our resources target and clear the areas of greatest need.

After fighting stops, battle areas are often contaminated with unexploded bombs. We systematically clear and return the land to local communities for productive use.

We recruit and train men and women from local communities. This gives people affected by landmines the opportunity to clear them, as well as financially support their own families and communities. In this way, MAG also acquires knowledge, technical expertise, and further commitment to clearing the country of landmines.

Our humanitarian response activities include survey, risk education and clearance as well as humanitarian planning. This helps prevent casualties, and supports other humanitarian organisations to carry out their emergency operations.