IMPACT
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Destroyed more than 7.29 million items of small arms ammunition and 1.22 million items of explosive devices, including 41,265 mines, 86,340 cluster munitions, and 1.103 million other items of unexploded ordnance (UXO), to make safe: 2,340 water points, 3,347 schools, and 442 health clinics.
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Cleared 4,907 km of road, enabling UN and humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving aid, as well as supporting functioning markets and sustainable development.
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Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) ensured that 7.37 million people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities, can recognize and report explosive hazards.
ABOUT
“Mine action is more than a technical effort, it’s a stark reminder of war’s devastating legacy.
Each mine cleared is a step toward peace, but also a reflection of the long road ahead.”
Ms. Anita Kiki Gbeho
UNMISS Deputy Special Representative to Secretary General/Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator (DSRSG/HC/RC)
UNMAS is a component of UNMISS, mandated under Security Council Resolution SCR 2779 (2025) and supports the four objectives of protecting civilians, creating conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, supporting the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement and the peace process, and monitoring, investigating, and reporting on violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. As explosives and remnants of war continue to threaten communities across the country, UNMAS remains vital to safeguarding lives and enabling stability. Read More.
Since its inception in 2004, UNMAS has cleared 50.79 km2of minefields and 106.5 km2 of cluster strikes and battlefields as well as surveying and confirming more than 1,174.4 km2 of suspected areas. Together with partners, we have reduced the suspected explosive ordnance-contaminated area to 20.6 km² through additional resurveying and database desk reviews.
Contamination Landscape
The total contamination area is now estimated to be around 20.6 km² (approximately 2,897 football pitches) with 323 remaining tasks comprising 111 AP minefields, 52 AT minefields and 25 roads, 102 cluster munition strikes, and 33 confrontation areas. The majority of the remaining contamination is centred in the southern part of the Greater Equatoria region, which is currently the area of most significant insecurity. Much of the contamination straddles the primary routes of refugees and returnees. Safe land is needed for resettlement and agriculture and is a prerequisite for safe return. As of June 2025, UNMAS UNMISS coordinates 9 multi-task teams. Each year UNMAS teams clear approximately 2.7 km² of minefields and 4.1 km² of cluster strikes and battlefields and deliver safety messaging to over 355,000 people. UNMAS also supports the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) in coordinating the Mine Action sector, managing the database as well as collaborating on strategic planning for the sector.
ACTIVITIES
Protection of Civilians
UNMAS UNMISS protects civilians by clearing explosive hazards and providing EORE, enabling communities to safely access healthcare, education, and farmland, key pillars for recovery and resilience. These efforts not only save lives but also restore dignity, freedom of movement, and socio-economic opportunity.
On 4 April 2025, UNMAS, in collaboration with NMAA, mine action partners, and with support from the Embassy of Japan, commemorated the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action in Juba. This year’s observance marked over 20 years of mine action in South Sudan, two decades of coordinated work to safeguard civilians, enable humanitarian access, and support the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. Achievements include the release of 1,300 square kilometres of land, the destruction of over 1.2 million explosive items, and the delivery of lifesaving EORE to more than 7 million people.
Learn more about 20+ Years of Mine Action in South Sudan:
Creating Conditions Conducive to the Delivery of Humanitarian Assistance
UNMAS UNMISS, plays a vital role in enabling UN and NGO humanitarian partners to safely deliver life-saving assistance across South Sudan. Through clearance of land and critical routes, and delivery of EORE, UNMAS ensures that humanitarian actors and displaced populations can move without fear of explosive hazards. In response to the 2024 floods and Sudan’s ongoing crisis, over one million people were displaced, many of whom now traverse unfamiliar and potentially hazardous terrain. To address this, UNMAS pre-positioned clearance teams in key flood-prone areas to support collective preparedness efforts.
In Malakal and Wau, UNMAS cleared large areas of contaminated land to support resettlement efforts by UNMISS, UNHCR, and IOM. In Malakal’s Hai Matar area, UNMAS released over 5 million square meters equivalent to 700 football fields of land contaminated with explosive ordnance. This enabled the construction of transitional shelters and latrines by UNHCR and IOM for displaced families who had lived in overcrowded and insecure conditions due to conflict and flooding. On 21 May 2025, 128 transitional shelters were officially handed over in Malakal as part of a joint effort led by UNMAS, UNHCR, IOM, UNMISS, and the Ministry of Housing, Land and Public Utilities. The project illustrates the critical role of mine action in restoring access to land, housing, and services, and the importance of coordinated efforts between humanitarian partners and national authorities in driving durable solutions for displaced populations. Read More.
Supporting the Peace Process
UNMAS UNMISS enables broader peacebuilding activities that would otherwise not be possible given the presence of explosive hazards. This includes joining mission road patrols, verifying the safety of helicopter landing sites and providing UNMISS personnel with EORE, thus ensuring uniformed and civilian peacekeepers are able to safely access even the most remote areas to deliver peacebuilding services. UNMAS UNMISS survey and clearance efforts also directly enable mission peacebuilding initiatives such as large-scale road rehabilitation and Quick Impact Projects.
Mine Action activities also focus on building resilient communities by supporting sustainable livelihoods through the clearance of agricultural areas and providing local farmers with safe areas to grow crops to sustain their families and enhance local agricultural commerce.As one returnee farmer, from Malakal, Upper Nile State, stated, “It used to be scary to farm here. Now that the mines are gone, we can finally work our fields safely.” Read More.
Finally, UNMAS provides technical advice and assistance to the NMAA as part of the mission's engagement with the Government of South Sudan and other political stakeholders in the areas of Weapons and Ammunition Management. South Sudan, one of the most mine contaminated countries in the world, reaffirmed its commitment to a mine-free future by requesting a new Article 5 deadline of June 2030 under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC). With technical and strategic support from UNMAS and the APMBC Implementation Support Unit, the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) aims to clear all known anti-personnel minefields by that date. This follows previous deadline extensions due to conflict, access constraints, and funding gaps.
To galvanize international support, South Sudan hosted an Individualized Approach Meeting on 19 June 2025, under the theme “Clearing the Final Path.” During the event, NMAA Chair Hon. Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch emphasized national progress, persistent challenges, and the importance of a context-driven clearance strategy in achieving South Sudan’s mine action goals. Read More.
Provision of Advocacy and Support to the Government
UNMAS UNMISS oversees the Information Management database for Mine Action on behalf of the NMAA, and this enables the NMAA to meet its reporting obligations under relevant international treaties. UNMAS UNMISS also provides technical advice to the legal frameworks that are relevant to mine action.
FUNDING
UNMAS UNMISS is funded through assessed contributions to the UN Peacekeeping operation through the Department of Peace Operations, and, as of April 2025, also received Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF) from the Embassy of Japan to support the capacity enhancement of the NMAA for effective coordination of mine action in South Sudan.
For more information:
Zehrudin Sukanovic Chief, Mine Action Program UNMAS South Sudan (UNMAS UNMISS), sukanovic@un.org
Takuto Kubo, Chief of Programmes, UNMAS New York, Planning and Management, kubo@un.org
Data as of July 2025