Working toward a world free of landmines
25 years after the International Mine Ban Treaty was signed in Ottawa, millions of landmines have been destroyed and many countries have declared themselves mine-free – with others well on the way. April 4th is International Landmine Awareness Day. A critical day to bring to light to some of the horrors of war, which we all too often prefer not to see.
APOPO is committed to clearing landmines and other explosives so we can release land at an accelerated pace to protect people and livestock, and release whole communities from daily anxiety. Innocent people in countries like Cambodia and Angola are still getting killed or maimed by landmines that were laid in their fields more than 30 years ago, before most of them were even born. Landmines are also found in remote areas where endangered wildlife roams, such as APOPO’s program along the border between southwest Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Since we began 25 years ago, APOPO has found and destroyed over 155,000 landmines and other explosive remnants of war, returned over 82 million square meters (equivalent to 11,500 soccer fields) of safe land to communities, and freed over 1.8 million people from debilitating injury or death.
This year’s theme is “Mine Action Cannot Wait”. For the millions living in the aftermath of conflict, every step can put them at risk, especially children. Although the fighting may have stopped, conflict leaves behind a terrifying legacy: landmines and other explosives that litter the countryside. Peace brings no assurance of safety when roads and fields are mined. Together with collaborating partners and generous supporters, we remove deadly weapons, support national authorities, and ensure safe access to homes, schools, hospitals, and farmland.
Alongside using traditional landmine removal techniques, such as metal detectors and machines, APOPO has a unique Mine Action approach that includes training and working with rats and dogs. This has strengthened our role as the leading service provider of landmine detection animals that adhere to International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and is accompanied by a good reputation for quality and constructive partnerships.
We continue to clear landmines and other explosives in our programs in Cambodia, Angola, and Zimbabwe. Important to our work is selecting the best toolbox to get the job done: rats for clearance, dogs for technical survey, and manual deminers and machines to support the animals as well as take on dense landmine belts.
APOPO also deploys teams of landmine detection animals with our Mine Action partners in South Sudan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and now Senegal. Further expanding into more landmine-affected countries over the past few years, we believe our commitment towards higher operational efficiency can generate sector-wide efficiency achievements beyond what we can achieve alone. This is demonstrated by the increased interest from other Mine Action operators to partner with APOPO and integrate our animals.
60 million people in 68 countries still live with direct threats to their safety and there is new and notable landmine contamination in Ukraine, Yemen and Myanmar. Much work remains to realize a world free of landmines and other explosives like cluster munitions. Only with the continued support of our partners and donors, will we be able to do so. APOPO’s support for local and national capacity to address the complex problems caused by these weapons promotes sustainable peace and stability, which are both essential for prosperity and development in the countries where we work.
Today on International Mine Awareness Day, let’s take action to end the threat of these deadly devices, supporting communities as they heal, and helping people rebuild their lives and livelihoods in safety. Your support pays tribute to the APOPO teams who show extraordinary bravery in their mine action work. Your support also shows solidarity with all those affected by landmines, and those working towards a landmine-free world. We hope you will consider supporting us today.
