IMPACT
From 1 January to 31 March 2025:
Removed 2,382 explosive remnants of war (ERW), and 207 improvised explosive devices (IED) in Ninewa governorate. Conducted eight clearance tasks enabling rehabilitation and resumption of livelihood activities, and humanitarian actors to move forward with urgent lifesaving interventions. In addition, nine spot tasks were conducted in response to community reporting, removing 36 explosive ordnance (EO) items.
91 police officers, including 26 women, were trained to be able to identify, mark and report EO threats. One Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) / Drone training courses, one Global Positioning System (GPS) training course, two Awareness on the Dangers of Explosives (UXO - Mines - IEDs) courses.
Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions were delivered to 6,385 people in affected communities near areas with ongoing clearance operations.
ABOUT
Iraq is one of the most EO-contaminated countries in the world. It has approximately 2,733 square kilometers of recorded contaminated areas, including extensive and complex contamination in areas retaken from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
According to existing national mine action data, about 26 percent of EO contamination is found in agricultural areas - preventing productive use of the land for livelihood activities; another 20 percent is found in infrastructure - hampering reconstruction efforts and access to infrastructure for services and economic opportunities; with an additional 19 percent found in roads, challenging interconnectivity in the country, and 22 percent of the contamination is blocking access to water resources.
Continued clearance of residential and agricultural areas is an important contributor and enabler for sustainable returns and development and supports broader humanitarian objectives.
The UNMAS Iraq programme takes a programmatic approach to the assistance provided to the Government of Iraq (GoI) in leading and coordinating a national mine action response supported by multi-donor contributions. As per its Country Programme Strategy 2023-2025, UNMAS Iraq provides technical and advisory support to the Iraqi national authorities to lead, manage and implement the national mine action response. In parallel, UNMAS will continue to enhance the capacity of national operators to effectively carry out survey, clearance and EORE to maintain a consistent mine action response in Iraq. Simultaneously, UNMAS Iraq will continue to advocate for enabling environment to humanitarian mine action and clearance in particular.
ACTIVITIES
UNMAS Iraq supports the development of a sustainable, well-coordinated national mine action sector and reduces the threat of EO to civilians through three pillars of work:
1. Technical Support to the Government of Iraq
The GoI coordinates, manages, and allocates national financial resources to an efficient, well-coordinated, and well-prioritized Mine Action sector.
UNMAS Iraq provides technical support that aims to enable national mine action authorities to effectively lead and coordinate mine action in Iraq. This support is intended to help build streamlined sustainable processes for improved coordination mechanisms across all relevant GoI institutions. This includes a focus on technical assistance toward capacity development, technical enhancement, governance, and effective systems and processes for GoI entities to deliver a coordinated mine action response effectively. UNMAS Iraq advocates for sustainable government funding to humanitarian mine action activities through the National Mine Action Authorities to reduce the risks of IEDs, landmines, cluster munitions, and other ERW and to comply with the various disarmament treaties and instruments to which Iraq is a signatory.
2. Capacity enhancement of national mine action organizations
National NGOs implement mine action priority tasks effectively and efficiently with funds from the GoI and international donors.
Since 2020, UNMAS Iraq has supported capacity building of national operators through the “Partnership model’. Under this model, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) were partnered with national non-governmental organizations (NNGOs) to provide training, and transfer skills and experience for three years. UNMAS Iraq successfully concluded the Partnership model by the end of 2023 with two NNGOs who are now fully accredited to implement EO clearance operations. From 2024 onwards and with the kind assistance of multiple donors, UNMAS Iraq will directly award grants to the NNGOs. Through the current grants, the NNGOs will continue to operate independently building on the experience and knowledge derived from the Partnership Model. The direct grant contributes to the sustainable capacity of the NNGOs to respond to the humanitarian mine action needs in the country.
3. Explosive Hazard Management
Land is released for safe return of displaced persons and development activities and people are able to mitigate the risks from EO.
UNMAS Iraq conducts survey and clearance operations, as well as EORE activities in the most devastated areas of Iraq. Clearance will involve the identification, neutralization, and removal of EO from buildings, critical infrastructure, and their immediate surroundings, as well as open/rural areas with minefield-like defensive lines of IEDs. The teams will provide EORE to the affected communities to raise awareness and promote safe behavior when confronted with EO in their daily lives.
FUNDING
UNMAS in Iraq is solely funded through contributions to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund. The donors who supported UNMAS Iraq activities during the reporting period include Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Slovakia, and Sweden.
For the year 2025, UNMAS Iraq seeks USD 6 million to fully implement the planned activities.
UNMAS Iraq is making consistent efforts to raise additional funds to respond to the needs for technical support, EORE and survey and clearance, to better support the humanitarian response.
Data as of May 2025