Afghanistan

Last Updated: 22 November 2013

Support for Mine Action

Since 2008, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has received more than US$500 million in international assistance for mine action. In 2012, it received $90.6 million from 18 donor governments and the European Union (EU), more than any other country both in the amount of the contributions and the number of donors. The United States (US) contributed $40 million in 2012, the same as in 2011, representing some 40% of the total international mine action assistance in Afghanistan. Six donors contributed more than $4 million each.[1]

In September 2011, in its continuing support for the reconstruction of Afghanistan that began in 1997, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) committed $25.83 million to mine action to conduct community-based mine action services in Kandahar province.[2] The UAE selected the US-based company EOD Technology to implement the project.[3] The first installment, paid in late 2011, was for $1,999,975.[4] In 2012, the UAE allocated $13,397,300 to the company, Sterling Global Operations to continue clearance operations in Kandahar province.[5]

Afghanistan also reported that $128 million was spent from April 2010 to 31 March 2012 to check for landmines over a total of 100km2 in conjunction with development and construction activities. This included $42.6 million in payments to 21 international and national commercial companies from April 2011 to March 2012, which found four antipersonnel mines, 40 antivehicle mines, 23,000 items of unexploded ordnance, and 71,000 pieces of small arms ammunition while checking a total of 48km2.[6]

The government of Afghanistan committed $4.1 million to mine action from December 2010 to July 2012, to be paid in quarterly installments. Of the $4.1 million, $94,435 is for clearance at the Eshposhta coal mine.[7] In 2012, the Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA) reported that the government of Afghanistan had contributed $1.8 million to mine action.[8]

International contributions: 2012[9]

Donor

Sector

Amount

(national currency)

Amount

($)

US

Clearance, victim assistance

$40,550,000

40,550,000

UAE

Clearance

$13,397,300

13,397,300

Germany

Clearance, victim assistance

€4,800,000

6,172,320

Australia

Various

A$5,000,000

5,179,500

Japan

Clearance, risk education

¥390,187,299

4,888,340

Netherlands

Clearance

€3,215,754

4,135,138

UK

Various

£1,944,966

3,083,355

Denmark

Clearance

DKK16,500,000

2,848,659

Norway

Clearance, victim assistance

NOK14,678,193

2,522,850

Sweden

Clearance

SEK15,000,000

2,214,970

Finland

Clearance, various

€1,500,000

1,928,850

EU

Clearance

€1,087,500

1,398,416

Ireland

Clearance

€927,739

1,192,980

Italy

Victim assistance

€500,000

642,950

Austria

Clearance

€135,000

173,597

Oman

Clearance

$100,000

100,000

Saudi Arabia

Clearance

$100,000

100,000

Korea, South

Clearance

$50,000

50,000

Lithuania

Clearance

$6,000

6,000

Total

 

 

90,585,225

Victim Assistance

Victim assistance is integrated within the broader coordination mechanisms of the disability sector.[10] Consequently, overall funding to victim assistance is under-reported. The US, Norway, Germany, and Italy reported direct funding from mine action sources to NGOs for victim assistance in 2012. Additionally, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) reported that from the contributions to the Voluntary Trust Fund earmarked for Afghanistan, $1,141,322 was allocated to victim assistance, of which approximately half came from earmarked funds from Italy. The remaining victim assistance funding through UNMAS came from contributions from Australia, Denmark, Germany, and Japan.[11]

Contributions for victim assistance: 2012

Donor

Amount

(national currency)

Amount

($)

US

$3,000,000

3,000,000

UNMAS

$1,141,322

1,141,322

Norway

NOK678,193

116,566

Germany

€90,000

115,731

Italy

€500,000

642,950

Total

 

5,016,569

Summary of contributions: 2008–2012[12]

Year

Amount

($)

2012

90,585,225

2011

98,733,969

2010

102,552,749

2009

106,555,763

2008

105,070,944

Total

503,498,650

 



[1] Australia, Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), Amended Protocol II, Form B, 28 March 2013; response to Monitor questionnaire by Robert Gerschner, Unit for Arms Control and Disarmament in the framework of the UN, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Austria, 26 February 2013; response to Monitor questionnaire from Adam Ravnkilde, Security Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2013; email from Carolin J. Thielking, EU Mine Action Focal Point, Division for WMD, Conventional Weapons and Space, European External Action Service, 15 May 2013; response to Monitor questionnaire from Helena Vuokko, Desk Officer, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, 2 April 2013; Germany, CCW, Amended Protocol II, Form B, 23 March 2013; Italy, Financial Tracking System, Reliefweb, fts.unocha.org/pageloader.aspx?page=search-reporting_display&CQ=cq240413220104Nk8VOBnyzx; Japan, CCW, Amended Protocol II, 28 March 2013; UN Mine Action Service, “UNMAS Annual Report 2012,” p. 39; response to Monitor questionnaire from Fabienne Moust, Policy Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 19 March 2013; response to Monitor questionnaire by Ingunn Vatne, Senior Advisor, Department for Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Assistance, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 11 April 2013; Sweden, Mine Ban Treaty, Article 7 Report, Form J, 27 March 2013; response to Monitor questionnaire by Richard Bolden, Policy Analyst Mine Action, Arms Exports and ATT, Department for International Development (DfID), 7 May 2013; US Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety 2013, Washington DC, August 2013; and email from Mohammad Sediq Rashid, Chief of Operations, Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA), 5 August 2013.

[3] EOD Technology, “News,” 12 December 2011. In 2012 EOD Technology merged with Sterling International, 25 October 2012.

[4] Email from Eugen Secareanu, Resource Mobilisation Assistant, Resource Mobilisation Unit, UN Mine Action Service, 30 May 2012.

[6] Emails from MACCA, 14 July 2011; and from Mohammad Sediq Rashid, MACCA, 19 September 2012.

[7] Email from MACCA, 14 July 2011.

[9] Average exchange rate for 2012: A$1=US$1.0359; DKK5.7922=US$1; €1=US$1.2859; ¥79.82=US$1;

NOK5.8181=US$1; £1=US$1.5853; SEK6.7721=US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2013.

[11] “UNMAS Annual Report 2012,” p. 44; US Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety 2013”; Germany, CCW, Amended Protocol II, Form B, 22 March 2013; Japan, CCW, Protocol II, 3 April 2013; Italy Financial Tracking System, Reliefweb, fts.unocha.org/pageloader.aspx?page=search-reporting_display&CQ=cq240413220104Nk8VOBnyzx.