Press Releases

Press Release: France Renews its Commitment to Enabling Safe Returns in Retaken Areas of Iraq through Explosive Hazard Management

27 Jan 2020

Baghdad, 26 January - The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) welcomes an additional contribution of EUR 600,000 (approximately USD 670,000) from the Government of France dedicated to explosive hazard management activities that aim at enabling returns in retaken areas of Iraq.

Press Release: Denmark Grants Additional USD 4.4 Million for Explosive Hazard Management in Retaken Areas of Iraq

15 Jan 2020

Baghdad, 15 January 2020 – The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq welcomes an additional contribution of DKK 29.5 million (over USD 4.4 million) from the Government of Denmark to further enable stabilization and humanitarian efforts through explosive hazard management in retaken areas of Iraq. With this contribution UNMAS will be able to better support the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of displaced communities, as well as permit rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts to proceed.

Press Release: UNFICYP Statement - 9 December 2019

9 Dec 2019

18 Suspected Hazardous Areas in Cyprus Declared Mine-Free Nicosia, 09 December 2019 – UNFICYP is pleased to announce the clearance of nine suspected hazardous areas each on both sides of the island, amounting to a total area of 210,882 square meters. This confidence-building measure was agreed upon by both leaders on 26 February 2019 as part of their commitment towards a mine-free Cyprus.

Press Release: UNMAS Presents its Work to Senior German Delegation in Baghdad

12 Sep 2019 | Baghdad

At the invitation of the Government of Germany, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) presented its activities to a delegation comprising HE Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany and Dr. Ole Diehl, German Ambassador to Iraq, in addition to senior officials representing multiple international organizations.

Press Release: The Government of Canada Supports Institutional Capacity Enhancement and Gender Mainstreaming Activities in Iraq

25 Jun 2019 | Baghdad

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) welcomes a new contribution of CAD 5 million (approximately USD 3.75 million) from the Government of Canada to facilitate and enhance gender mainstreaming initiatives in the mine action sector, while simultaneously developing institutional capacity enhancement in the country.

Support from the Government of Germany Proves Crucial in Continuing UNMAS Life-Saving Activities in Iraq

11 Jun 2019 | Baghdad

With a total contribution of EUR 51.2 million (USD 58 million) to date, the Government of Germany is the largest contributor to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq and supports explosive hazard management and capacity enhancement initiatives to mitigate the threat posed by explosive hazards, thus enabling the provision and facilitation of humanitarian and stabilization activities.

UK’s Department for International Development Continues to Support Explosive Hazard Management and Risk Education Activities in Iraq

9 Jun 2019 | Baghdad

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq would like to highlight the role of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) as a key facilitator of stabilization and humanitarian efforts through the support of explosive hazard management and risk education activities in the retaken areas of Iraq.

Japan Donates USD 8.3 Million to Humanitarian Mine Action

25 Apr 2019 | New York

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is pleased to announce receipt of a contribution from the Government of Japan in the amount of USD 8.3 million to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action (UN VTF). Japan’s support will enable the Service to undertake critical humanitarian mine action programming in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria. Japan is one of the largest donors to the UN VTF, having provided over USD 140 million since 2010.

Japan contributes to Humanitarian Mine Action in Syria

15 Apr 2019 | Beirut

UNMAS Syria Response launched the project “Humanitarian Mine Action Support to Syria (31 March 2019 – 31 March 2020)” to reduce the impact of explosive hazards in Syria, with the support from the Government of Japan (USD 1,401,785). Since 2016, Japan’s overall contribution to UNMAS Syria Response has now reached more than USD 4.6 million, through which the UNMAS Syria Response has reached more than 105,000 Syrians including women and children, as well as humanitarian aid workers.

Japan donates over US $1,468,000 to Mine Action in South Sudan

29 Mar 2019 | Juba

The Government of Japan has contributed US $1,468,374 to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), for the mine action project “Enabling Humanitarian Operations and Enhancing National Institutional Capacity for Sustainable Mine Action in South Sudan.” Since 2011, Japan has contributed more than US $15 million to mine action operations in South Sudan, enabling the clearance of over 3.2 million sqm of land (equivalent to approximately 458 football pitches with the potential to produce an estimated 350 tonnes of maize annually), the removal of 20,626 items of explosive ordnance, 341,608