HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION COLOMBIA. Humanitarian Demining in Affected Communities

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1 HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION PROJECT: AREA COVERED: PARTNERS: EXECUTING AGENCY: Humanitarian Demining in Affected Communities National Territory Presidential Program for Mine Action (PAICMA); Colombian Armed Forces; Affected Communities Humanitarian Demining Battalion of the Colombian Armed Forces PERIOD: January - December 2011 TOTAL COST: US $ 3,204, Objectives Clearance of antipersonnel mines from abandoned or severely contaminated communities with the goal of allowing for the safe return of their populations. Reduction of the risks presented by antipersonnel mines to communities in the most affected areas of Colombia in order to substantially reduce the number of victims. Expansion in the Colombian government s capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies caused by mines in communities, by organizing, training, and equipping five additional humanitarian demining platoons of 41 deminers each. Description of Affected Areas In Colombia 31 of the 32 departments are affected by antipersonnel mines. Twelve departments have been characterized as being severely impacted by landmines. The Presidential Program for Mine Action (PAICMA) has determined that, as of January 2011, the units dedicated to humanitarian demining in communities will focus their efforts on the departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Meta, Nariño, Tolima, and Bolívar. The affected areas often present difficult access to work sites due to the lack of suitable roads, adverse climate conditions, and difficult communications. These factors affect delivery of logistical, administrative and medical support and to demining teams. Many work sites are located along mountain ranges that cross the country generally from south to north, while other affected areas are found in the relatively flat, lowlands to the east 20

2 of the mountain ranges. Nearly all of the priority zones of action are rural, agricultural areas characterized by frequent, heavy rains and dense vegetation. Methodology PAICMA establishes priorities and supervises all mine action activities in the country, including humanitarian demining work conducted by the Armed Forces. The Humanitarian Demining Battalion within the Armed Forces is responsible for the direction, coordination, and conduct of clearance operations, in accordance with the Colombian National Demining Plan. By the end of 2011, the Battalion is projected to expand from nine to fourteen platoons with the objective of conducting humanitarian demining activities in mine-affected communities in the twelve priority departments identified by PAICMA. The OAS s Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines Program in Colombia (AICMA-CO) is responsible for coordinating logistical, administrative, and human resource support by way of its coordination office in Bogotá. AICMA-CO provides direct logistical, technical and advisory support to the Humanitarian Demining Battalion and its subordinate elements and participates directly in non-technical surveys of future work areas in collaboration with PAICMA and the Battalion. Key enabling activities carried out by AICMA-CO include community liaison and mine risk education activities in the same areas where the Battalion works before, during, and after humanitarian demining operations. These activities seek to increase understanding of and support for humanitarian demining and greater exchange between the civil population and humanitarian demining units. To facilitate the return of displaced persons to their communities as these are cleared, AICMA-CO offers micro-financing for productive projects as an interim measure to reestablishment of government services and assistance from international aid and development entities. In addition to conducting supporting and enabling activities, AICMA-CO is responsible for quality assurance for demining operations through a team of independent monitors who make weekly, on-site visits to the Humanitarian Demining Battalion s subordinate teams to ensure compliance with national and international standards. AICMA-CO also represents PAICMA in the quality control process by conducting post-clearance sampling of all land cleared by the Battalion prior to turnover of these areas to local authorities. Activities The existing nine demining platoons of the Humanitarian Demining Battalion, consisting of some 370 deminers, will continue clearance work throughout The platoons may be deployed as whole units or in as many as three separate teams that are capable of working independently. The projected areas for deployment of these teams is indicated on the map on the following page and includes the departments of Antioquia, Bolívar, Caldas, Meta, Nariño, and Tolima. Mine Action, Arms Control, Destruction of Ammunitions Projects Portfolio

Projected Areas for Mine Clearance in Colombia - 2011 Antoquia San Francisco San Carlos Granada Bolívar Carmen de Bolívar San Jacinto

3 Projected Areas for Mine Clearance in Colombia Antoquia San Francisco San Carlos Granada Bolívar Carmen de Bolívar San Jacinto Zambrano Caldas Samaná Tolima Chaparral Villarrosa Dolores Nariño Barbacoas Samaniego Meta El Dorado San Juan de Arama Vistahermosa 22

4 The Colombian government will employ a mechanical demining component in direct support of the humanitarian demining platoons. The component will consist of two Hitachi rotary cutters and one mini-minewolf system. The mechanical systems are initially expected to be deployed in the departments of Meta, Tolima and Antioquia, as well as in other areas as suitable sites are identified. Through 2011, the initial package for the equipment that was provided by the Government of Japan will support spare parts and maintenance requirements. AICMA-CO will also provide logistical support, primarily fuel and lubricants, and technical advice on employment. Pending the conclusion of non-technical surveys conducted jointly by PAICMA, the Humanitarian Demining Battalion and AICMA-CO in the first half of 2011, the Colombian Armed Forces will prepare to add 205 deminers organized in five additional platoons, bringing the total strength of the Battalion to 575 deminers. The AICMA Program will provide equipment and will monitor the training of the Colombian military personnel, leading to the accreditation of the new units as they are formed and prepared for operations. The primary areas under consideration for the deployment of the new platoons are the departments of Arauca, Caquetá, Cauca, Putumayo and Valle de Cauca. If security conditions in these areas are not considered adequate after the formation of the platoons, they could be deployed to municipalities in the other seven priority departments. The calendar for organizing, training, and deploying humanitarian demining units in affected communities is as follows: Projected Deployment Plan for Humanitarian Demining Battalion Platoon Department 2011 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1 Meta 2 Antioquia 3 Antioquia 4 Meta 5 Nariño 6 Bolivar 7 Antioquia/Tolima 8 Caldas 9 To be determined 10 To be determined 11 To be determined 12 To be determined 13 To be determined KEY: Training/Retraining Leave/Recovery Demining Operations Mine Action, Arms Control, Destruction of Ammunitions Projects Portfolio

5 Risks and Mitigation Strategies The primary risk to project execution stems from the armed conflict. Adequate security is required for the demining units, as well as for AICMA-CO support personnel, demining monitors, community liaison coordinators and mine-risk education campaign promoters. In addition, the population in affected communities could be subject to threats from illegal armed groups if their communities support the Colombian government s efforts to clear hazardous areas or provide information to demining units, AICMA-CO or PAICMA. Consequently, each area to be cleared will be subject to a joint risk assessment by PAICMA, the Humanitarian Demining Battalion and AICMA-CO prior to the initiation of clearance. Community liaison activities will initially focus on determining security conditions, the level of support from local authorities and the communities themselves and the posture of government security forces in the proposed areas. Generally, areas to be considered for clearance operations should receive priority for protection before, during and after demining takes place. Poor climate conditions are another factor that could slow down programmed activities. Operations can be highly affected by the difficult access and the poor conditions of roads in areas to be worked. Actions can even be taken to plan operations according to the most opportune timing in regards to the weather. Human Resources Humanitarian demining operations will be conducted initially in 2011 by 370 deminers from the Colombian military s Humanitarian Demining Battalion, organized into nine platoons. Based on government projections, total of 575 deminers will be operational in a structure composed of fourteen platoons by the end of AICMA-CO will provide technical, administrative and logistic coordination and support to the Humanitarian Demining Battalion with a 16-member support staff. In addition, AICMA-CO will provide quality assurance for clearance operations on behalf of PAICMA with a team of approximately ten monitors and will conduct post-clearance inspections of demined areas with twelve civilian deminers organized into four inspection teams. Monitoring and Evaluation Humanitarian demining operations will be monitored by AICMA-CO through its team of ten monitors who will conduct on-site visits to each demining team on a weekly basis to ensure compliance with national and international standards. The monitors will also receive and review daily field reports from the demining units. Reports will be provided in the following manner: Demining platoon commanders will send field reports daily to the Humanitarian Demining Battalion headquarters and to the AICMA-CO monitors. 24

6 Monitors will report an serious discrepancies noted during on-site visits to the chief of AICMA-CO within 24 hours; serious violations of safety or quality standards will be reported the same day to PAICMA and the Battalion. AICMA-CO will present PAICMA and AICMA-OAS with a monthly progress report on the results of clearance operations, noting the amount of area cleared, the number of mines and explosive artifacts found, and any other relevant information. AICMA-OAS will send quarterly progress and financial reports to donors all components of the project. AICMA-CO and AICMA-OAS will provide additional information to PAICMA and project donors upon request. Expected Results Clearance of mined and hazardous areas in at least seven departments in the country, in accordance with priorities by PAICMA. Safe return of the displaced population to their homes and socioeconomic recuperation of the land. Significant reduction in the occurrence of accidents and incidents in the municipalities where clearance is underway (minimum of 50% reduction from previous year). Project Innovations The project is designed to integrate all components of mine action into a complete, fully integrated concept. It incorporates the relatively new concept of non-technical survey and land release to increase productivity of clearance operations and speed the return of land to affected communities. The needs and interests of the supported communities are key elements that are considered in the planning process in order to ensure that cleared land will be quickly reincorporated into economic production. Protection of the affected population is also emphasized by ensuring that security conditions are adequate prior to initiation of clearance and that the people living near newly cleared areas will not be threatened by illegal armed groups for supporting the demining process or returning to their land. Another innovation is the enabling action brought about by micro projects. These serve as a basic tool for families that were forced to abandon their land and upon return cannot use the land due to a lack of social and economic resources. Micro projects provide the means necessary for subsistence and work as an incentive to reincorporate cleared lands into the agricultural activities of the region. Mine Action, Arms Control, Destruction of Ammunitions Projects Portfolio

7 Project Impact The Project will have a large social impact because upon landmine clearance displaced populations from affected areas will be able to safely return to their homes. The people would be able to begin work on micro-projects which would provide for their subsistence in the interim it would take government agencies to reinstate regional social and economic development. This support would contribute to the economic development and well being of the population fostering growth of area-sustaining capabilities. Affected communities will generate new productive projects, strengthen the existing social networks, and face their daily activities with risk-minimizing behavior. Budget Summary Direct Costs US$ Personnel 1,328, Community Liaison, Risk Education and Socioeconomic Recuperation Separate Budget Logistical Support 1,373, Operational Support 149, Total Direct Costs 2,852, Indirect Costs 352, PROJECT TOTAL 3,204,

HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION COLOMBIA. Community Liaison, Mine Risk Education and Non- Technical Survey in Mine-Affected Communities

HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION COLOMBIA. Community Liaison, Mine Risk Education and Non- Technical Survey in Mine-Affected Communities HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION PROJECT: AREA COVERED: PARTNERS: Community Liaison, Mine Risk Education and Non- Technical Survey in Mine-Affected Communities National Territory Presidential Program for Mine