Contamination and Impact

Mines

The Lebanese Republic is contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) as a legacy of 15 years of civil conflict and two Israeli invasions and occupations of south Lebanon (1978 and 1982) that ended in May 2000. The July–August 2006 hostilities by Israel also resulted in heavy new contamination from cluster munition remnants in southern Lebanon.

Mine contamination affects the north and south of the country, though most contamination is found in the south. The Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC) earlier identified 2,598 mined areas over 191km² in Batroun, Chouf, Jbeil, and Jezzine, north of the Litani River, in the Bekaa valley, and across Mount Lebanon. Non-technical survey (NTS) and clearance have since reduced the problem to 1,509 suspected mined areas covering 30km²,of which 950 areas are close to the 118km-long Blue Line bordering Israel (the line of withdrawal of the Israel Defence Forces).[1]

Landmine contamination as of June 2014[2]

Note: SHAs = suspected hazardous areas

Cluster munition remnants

Cluster munition contamination originates primarily from the conflict with Israel in July–August 2006, although some contamination remains from conflict in the 1980s.[3] Contamination by cluster munition remnants was estimated to be approximately 55km², although the estimate has since been revised upwards through survey to 57.8km² across 1,484 areas in the three regions of South Lebanon, Bekaa, and Mount Lebanon due to the discovery of new contaminated areas.[4] There is an estimated 17km² over 748 SHAs of contamination remaining, constituting 29.5% of the estimated 57.8km² of affected area.[5]

Cluster munition contamination as of June 2014[6]

Lebanon has three levels of priority. The first is to address infrastructure to ensure that displaced people from the 2006 conflict can return home, the second is to release agricultural land and housing, and the third is to release land used for activities other than agriculture. The first priority goals were met in 2009; clearance of agricultural and housing areas are now the priority targets.[7]

Other explosive remnants of war

Clearance of the isolated ERW, which can be found across the country, falls under the responsibility of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). LMAC has identified 343 locations covering approximately 15km² containing only unexploded ordnance (UXO) and ERW.[8] Lebanon plans to clear all remaining UXO by the end of 2016.[9]

Mine Action Program

Mine action in Lebanon is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense. In 1998, the Council of Ministers established the Lebanese Mine Action Authority (LMAA). LMAC, which is part of the LAF, manages and implements mine action policy set by LMAA.[10] Since 2009, a regional base in Nabatiye oversees operations in the south of Lebanon.[11]LMAC also manages risk education and victim assistance.[12]

In 2013, mine clearance was conducted by DanChurchAid (DCA), Handicap International (HI), and Mines Advisory Group (MAG). A total of seven mine clearance teams were operating in Lebanon in 2013.[13] In addition, the LAF had four multi-tasking teams, four explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams, and seven mine detection dog teams.[14]

LMAC has consistently raised concerns over lack of capacity to address mine and cluster munition remnants contamination, which it ascribes to funding shortfalls.[15] In March 2013, the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) closed its cluster munitions clearance program due to lack of funding.[16] Lebanon’s battle area clearance (BAC) capacity dropped from 28 teams at the start of the year to 22 by December 2013, again due to lack of funding.[17] Overall, however, international contributions for mine action in Lebanon increased in 2013 (see Support for Mine Action section).

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was established in 1978[18] to confirm withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon (which occurred only in 2000) and to assist the government of Lebanon in reestablishing its authority in the area.[19] The primary task of UNIFIL mine clearance teams has been to clear paths through minefields in order to place 470 markers on the 118km-long Blue Line. UNIFIL does not generally conduct clearance on the Blue Line for humanitarian purposes but only to facilitate placement of markers by clearing three-meter-wide lanes into mined areas.[20] In 2013, UNIFIL’s capacity consisted of eight manual mine clearance teams, one mechanical clearance team, and six EOD teams from Belgium, Cambodia, China, Finland, Ghana, Italy, Korea, and Malaysia.[21]

The UN Mine Action Support Team (UNMAST), a project of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), coordinates mine clearance operations with LMAC. It trains the UNIFIL demining units and monitors and validates UNIFIL mine clearance on the Blue Line to ensure it complies with the International Mine Action Standards.[22] It also provides resource mobilization assistance to LMAC. UNMAST operating funds are from the assessed peacekeeping budget for UNIFIL.[23]

Strategic planning

In September 2011, LMAC adopted a strategic mine action plan for 2011–2020.[24] The plan calls for clearance of all cluster munition remnants by 2016 and for completion of mine clearance, except for the Blue Line, by 2020. Both goals are dependent on capacity and both fell short of planning targets in 2013.[25] Demining the area bordering Israel is said to be dependent on “political developments” that will allow the LAF to conduct technical survey and clearance.[26]

Land Release

In 2013, Lebanon reported release of 0.57km² of mined areas and 2.47km² of land containing cluster munition remnants. As of June 2014, Lebanon has reported that more than 70% of cluster bomb strikes, 35% of dangerous areas, and 48% of minefields (excluding the Blue Line) have been cleared.[27] Lebanon has cleared more than 3.2km² of mined areas in the last five years.

Mine clearance in 2009–2013 (km²)[28]

Survey in 2013

In 2011, the LAF completed the national NTS project that began in 2005 and as a result canceled 1,007 SHAs covering 139km².[29] SHAs were canceled if the land was in use and had been cleared prior to the earlier Landmine Impact Survey. A non-technical survey that began in October 2011 had surveyed up to 66% of the Blue Line by the end of March 2013 (600 of 854 minefields).[30] In October 2013, MAG was tasked with surveying 139 areas covering approximately 4km², which was completed by March 2014; the results had not been released publicly as of June 2014.[31]

Mine clearance in 2013

In 2013, Lebanon reported cancellation of 34,391m² in two mined areas and release by clearance of 28 mined areas covering almost 0.54km², destroying 12 antipersonnel mines, six antivehicle mines, and 294 items of UXO. An additional 2.47km² was cleared through BAC, while LAF Rapid Response teams destroyed 10,828 items of UXO during 1,083 roving clearance tasks.[32]

Mine clearance in 2013[33]

The decrease in mined area cleared in 2013 compared with the almost 1km² reported in 2012 was ascribed to high metal contamination of the land demined,[34] while the reduction in battle area cleared was said to be due to difficult terrain and the lower number of BAC teams operating (from 28 at the beginning of 2013 to 22 by the year’s end).[35]

UNIFIL reported clearing 14,274m² of mined area and 1,466m² of battle area in 2013, with the destruction of 457 antipersonnel mines. An additional 6,705m² was cleared through EOD/roving clearance in 2013 in five areas.[36] UNIFIL’s demining facilitated placement of 300 marker barrels along the Blue Line.[37]

Clearance of cluster munition contaminated areas in 2013

In 2013, LMAC reported that 28 confirmed hazardous areas were cleared by five NGO operators covering an area of 2,472,263m² (2.47km²) while 4,470 unexploded submunitions and 813 UXO were destroyed,[38] less than the 2.83km² reported as cleared in 2012. All clearance took place in South Lebanon. All clearance of cluster munition remnants was both surface and subsurface.[39]

Cluster munitions clearance in 2013 by operator[40]

Note: U-Sub = unexploded submunition; CMC = cluster munition contamination

Since 2009, Lebanon has experienced a drop in the rate of clearance and in the number of cluster munition remnants found; this is a result of a focus on subsurface clearance, which is a slower process than surface clearance (and which was often conducted in areas that had already undergone surface clearance).[41] The continued pace of clearance over the coming years has been reported as “unclear” because of the need to re-clear areas previously only surface-cleared in 2006–2008 and the difficulties involved in clearance of contaminated areas located in remote locations and in difficult terrain such as steep hills.[42]

Clearance of cluster munition remnants in 2008–2013

Compliance with Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Lebanon is required to complete clearance of all areas affected by cluster munition remnants under its jurisdiction or control by 1 May 2021.

Lebanon plans to clear all cluster munitions by 2016, more than four years before its Article 4 deadline. A key element in ensuring the targets of the strategic plan are met is maintaining the number of BAC teams needed in 2012–2016. If not, the 2016 target may be missed.[43]

During a Cluster Munition Monitor field mission to Lebanon in May 2012, all stakeholders believed the 2016 target date was reasonable if both the funding and the number of teams stabilized or increased and if the contamination estimates prove accurate. In 2012, the NGOs deployed only 28 teams. At the end of 2012, LMAC revised its annual BAC team needs to 34 BAC teams starting in 2013[44] and by October 2013 the number of BAC teams needed was further revised upwards to 49.[45] Lebanon’s Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 report for 2013 states that 43 BAC teams are needed to compensate for the shortfall over the years estimated to cost $16.8million per year.[46]

LMAC has stated that without funding for the additional teams it is unlikely that Lebanon will be successful in meeting its target to clear all cluster munition-contaminated sites by 2016: “it is impossible for Lebanon to meet its commitment towards freeing Lebanon of cluster munitions by 2016 without additional funding to make up for the shortages in the number of allocated clearance teams.”[47]

Support for Mine Action

In 2013, Lebanon received US$19 million in international contributions from 11 donors for clearance, victim assistance, and risk education—an increase in international contributions overall from the $17.3 million reported in 2012, but with four fewer international donors than in 2012. In addition, Lebanon has reported contributing an average of US$9 million to its own program over recent years, bringing total contributions in 2013 to approximately $28 million.[48] Lebanon’s Mine Action Strategy 2011–2020 had estimated the need for more than $32 million a year in 2011–2013, and $43 million a year for 2014–2016. UNIFIL also received $1.2 million in UN-assessed peacekeeping funds.

Recommendations

·         Lebanon should commit to full mine clearance of its territory and adhere to the Mine Ban Treaty as soon as possible.

·         UNIFIL should be specifically mandated to conduct humanitarian demining and its Memorandum of Understanding with Lebanon on demining should be renewed.