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Lebanon
Support for Mine Action
Support for Mine Action
Since 2008, the government of Lebanon has contributed US$6.5 million each year toward its mine action program for Lebanese Armed Forces personnel, vehicles, communications, and medical care.[1] Other government support has not been reported. The Ministry of Health provides medical care to survivors, the Ministry of Social Affairs provides rehabilitation services, and the Ministry of Education supports risk education (RE) through its trained health and teaching personnel.[2]
In 2011, contributions from 10 international donors for clearance and victim assistance (VA), RE, and advocacy activities in Lebanon totaled US$11.1 million.[3] The contributions from Spain, Austria, Japan and South Korea went through the ITF Enhancing Human Security (formerly the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance; hereinafter, ITF) while United States (US) funding supported five NGO clearance operators and a victim assistance project with the World Rehabilitation Fund and the Jezzine Landmine Survivor Development Cooperative.[4] The Islamic Republic of Iran, through the Iranian organization, Immen Sazan Omran Pars (ISOP) provided $2.5 million for seven Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams in the Peace Generation (POD), a national NGO in southern Lebanon.[5]
In 2010, the European Commission (EC) awarded €6.9 million (US$9.2 million) to five NGOs and UNDP in Lebanon for clearance and capacity-building for the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC).[6] The EC did not contribute new funding in 2011. In September 2012, the EC in Lebanon planned to issue a tender valued at €10 million ($13.9 million) for 2013–2015 covering landmine and cluster munition clearance.[7] As of 13 September 2012, the tender had not been released.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Lebanon and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) outlining responsibilities for humanitarian demining expired in December 2010; as of May 2012 a new MoU was still under discussion with the Ministry of Defense.[8] In October 2011, the UN Mine Action Coordination Center was renamed the UN Mine Action Support Team (UNMAST) and reduced its personnel significantly. Since October 2011, UNIFIL has no longer been conducting humanitarian demining.[9] UNMAST funding was secured through the assessed peacekeeping budget (US$1.4 million) and the UN Voluntary Trust Fund ($91,000).[10]
In May 2010, the LMAC entered into a strategic partnership with Blom Bank, the largest bank in Lebanon, whereby a percentage of the cardholders’ annual fees and retailers’ transaction fees related to the Blom Bank MasterCard goes to the Ministry of Defense for mine clearance. A committee in the Ministry of Defense is responsible for awarding contracts using the funds from Blom Bank. As of May 2012, more than US$376,000 had been raised including $209,000 in 2011 for clearance and equipment. Blom Bank also funded a $1 million nationwide RE campaign and produced television ads promoting the special credit card.[11]
International contributions in 2011[12]
|
Donor |
Sector |
Amount (national currency) |
Amount (US$) |
|
US |
Clearance, victim assistance |
$3,025,000 |
3,025,000 |
|
Norway |
Clearance |
NOK16,400,000 |
2,927,421 |
|
Iran |
Clearance |
US$2,520,000 |
2,520,000 |
|
Australia |
Clearance |
A$800,000 |
826,560 |
|
Spain |
Clearance |
€520,000 |
724,412 |
|
Germany |
Clearance |
€499,072 |
695,257 |
|
Italy |
Advocacy |
€180,000 |
250,758 |
|
Japan |
Clearance |
¥5,672,568 |
71,174 |
|
Austria |
Victim assistance |
€40,000 |
55,724 |
|
South Korea |
Clearance |
US$40,000 |
40,000 |
|
Total |
|
|
11,136,306 |
Summary of contributions in 2007–2011 (US$)[13]
|
Year |
National contributions |
International contributions |
Total budget |
|
2011 |
6,500,000 |
11,136,306 |
17,636,306 |
|
2010 |
6,500,000 |
20,870,842 |
27,370,842 |
|
2009 |
6,500,000 |
21,210,204 |
27,710,204 |
|
2008 |
5,500,000 |
27,768,536 |
33,268,536 |
|
2007 |
5,500,000 |
28,338,812 |
33,838,812 |
|
Totals |
30,500,000 |
109,324,700 |
139,824,700 |
[1] UNDP, “Mine Action in Lebanon: A Review of the Lebanon Mine Action Programme and UNDP Support to mine action in Lebanon,” Final Report, September 2011; and interview with Brig.-Gen. Imad Odiemi, LMAC, Beirut, 5 May 2012.
[2] UNDP, “Mine Action in Lebanon: A Review of the Lebanon Mine Action Programme and UNDP Support to mine action in Lebanon,” Final Report, September 2011, p. 15.
[3] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Christine Pahlman, Mine Action Coordinator, AusAID, 24 April 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Wolfgang Bányai, Unit for Arms Control and Disarmament in the framework of the UN, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Austria, 1 March 2012; interview with Col. Rolly Fares, Head, Information Technology Section, Lebanon Mine Action Center, 5 May 2012; response to Monitor questionnaire by Lt.-Col. Klaus Koppetsch, Desk Officer Mine Action, German Federal Foreign Office, 20 April 2012; US Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety 2011,” Washington, DC, July 2012; ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF), “Donors: Donations Overview: All, 2011;” response to Monitor questionnaire by Ingunn Vatne, Senior Advisor, Department for Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Assistance, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 15 March 2012; and Spain Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, March 2012.
[4] US Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety 2011,” Washington, DC, July 2012; and ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF), “Donors: Donations Overview: All, 2011.”
[5] Interviews with Lt.-Col. Mohammad El Cheikh, LMAC, Beirut, 22 February 2010; and Col. Rolly Fares, LMAC, Beirut, 3 May 2012.
[6] Email from Sandrine Petroni, Attaché, Head of Programmes, EC, Beirut, 30 June 2011.
[7] European Commission, “EU announces new support for Lebanon,” Press Release, Brussels, 13 July 2012.
[8] Interview with Brig.-Gen. Imad Odiemi, LMAC, Beirut, 4 May 2012.
[9] Presentation by Maj. Pierre Bou Maroun, RMAC, Nabatiye, 4 May 2012.
[10] “UNMAS Annual Report 2011,” p. 34.
[11] Response to Monitor questionnaire from Maj. Pierre Bou Maroun, RMAC, Nabatiye, 2 May 2012; Blom Bank, “Blom Bank Launches the Blom Mastercard Giving Affinity Card In collaboration with the Lebanese Mine Action Center, a unit of the Lebanese ARM,” Press release, 20 May 2010, Beirut; and interviews with Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Fehmi, LMAC, Beirut, 24 August 2010 and 12 May 2011.
[12] Average exchange rates for 2011: A$1=US$1.0332; €1= US$1.3931; NOK5.6022 = US$1; ¥79.7 = US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2012.
[13] ICBL-CMC, “Country Profile: Lebanon: Support for Mine Action,” www.the-monitor.org, 29 July 2010.
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