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Table of Contents
Country Reports
Lebanon, Landmine Monitor Report 2006

Lebanon

Key developments since May 2005: For the first time, Lebanon voted in favor of the annual pro-Mine Ban Treaty UN General Assembly resolution in the First Committee; it was absent from the final vote. An internal review process that could lead to accession was underway. Lebanon was considering submission of a voluntary Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report. The ICBL undertook a special advocacy mission to Lebanon in June 2006. Two square kilometers of mine-affected land was cleared in 2005, and a further 3.9 square kilometers of mined and mine-suspected land was released through survey. The National Demining Office drafted a mine action policy giving itself responsibility for management of the mine action program and involving civilian institutions in priority-setting. A nationwide technical survey started in 2005; 9.8 square kilometers of suspected area had been surveyed by May 2006, resulting in the cancellation of 7.2 square kilometers as not contaminated. Mine risk education was delayed by the security situation, but resumed in late 2005. There were 22 new casualties in 2005, a significant increase from 2004.

Note from the Editor:  As Landmine Monitor Report 2006 went to print, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was erupting. Reliable information about any possible use of antipersonnel mines was not yet available, and the impact of the conflict on the landmine and explosive remnants of war situation in the country, as well as on Lebanon's mine ban policy, was not yet known.

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Lebanon has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. Its long-held position has been that it is unable to join the treaty due to the continuing conflict with Israel.[1] However, there have been some important positive developments.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in late 2005 initiated a process with the Lebanese Army that is expected to lead to a recommendation to the government that Lebanon accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. The Foreign Ministry has been consulting with the National Demining Office (NDO) and the Ministry of Defense regarding the ramifications of and procedures for accession. [2]

In June 2006, the ICBL’s Diplomatic Advisor, retired Ambassador Satnam Jit Singh, undertook a special advocacy mission to Lebanon. He met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Chief of the Armed Forces General Michel Sleiman, representatives of the NDO and the Army’s Engineering Regiment, and other political and social leaders. There was widespread coverage of the visit by television, radio and print media.

The prime minister and army chief indicated that they were not averse to accession to the Mine Ban Treaty. The foreign minister said that Lebanon was giving serious consideration to accession, that interministerial consultations were underway, and it was only a matter of a time until Lebanon accedes to the treaty. All officials pointed to Israel’s position on landmines as being an obstacle.[3]

On 28 October 2005, Lebanon for the first time voted in favor of the annual draft resolution in the UN General Assembly First Committee calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. It was not present to vote on the final version, UNGA Resolution 60/80, on 8 December 2005.[4]

In its 2005 annual report, the NDO reported that it had completed position papers recommending the submission of a voluntary Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report, as well as accession to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended Protocol II on landmines.[5]

The UN Mine Action Coordination Center for South Lebanon (MACC SL) stated in its 2005 annual report that Lebanon was studying the possibility of acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty with a real willingness to do so.[6]

Lebanon sent delegations to the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2005 and May 2006. However, Lebanon did not attend as an observer the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005.[7]

The Lebanon Mine Resource Center and Mines Action Canada organized a workshop on engaging youth in mine action in Lebanon from 16 to 19 January 2006, attended by participants from the region.[8]

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling and Use

In November 2004, Lebanon confirmed that it “has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.”[9] The Lebanese Army stockpiles an unknown number of antipersonnel mines. In 2005, there were no confirmed reports of use of antipersonnel mines by any party in Lebanon. The MACC SL said in its 2005 annual report that there had been no use of antipersonnel mines in Lebanon since the Israeli withdrawal.[10]

Landmine and UXO Problem

From the beginning of the civil war in 1975 until the end of Israeli occupation in 2000, mines and explosive ordnance were used extensively in Lebanon. Consequently, antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), including cluster bomblets, can be found throughout the country. South Lebanon (the territory formerly occupied by the Israeli forces) and Nabatieh provinces are the most affected, followed by Mount Lebanon.[11] As of 2006, Lebanon’s border with Israel continued to be a potential flashpoint, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been in place since 1978, continues with its peacekeeping operations.[12]

Although the initial extent of mine/UXO contamination is difficult to determine, approximately 150 square kilometers of land have been affected by mines and UXO since 1975. As of December 2005, 33.6 square kilometers of land had been returned to the population, and Lebanon estimated that over 70 percent of the country’s contaminated land remained to be cleared; this includes a highly contaminated area in the immediate area of the UN-delineated Blue Line along the Lebanese border with Israel.[13] In this area of South Lebanon, while 5 square kilometers were cleared in 2003-2004, around 2.1 square kilometers of land remained contaminated by an estimated 370,000 landmines and booby-traps, endangering 250,000 people in 151 communities.[14] Mines and UXO also continue to contaminate certain areas of shoreline in Beirut, Tabarja, Tripoli and South Lebanon.[15]

The national Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), which was completed in 2003, estimated that 22 out of 24 districts, covering a total area of 137 square kilometers, were affected to some degree by mines and/or UXO. Contamination continues to impede socioeconomic development. In the south, mines are an obstacle to the execution of a major drinking and irrigation water pipeline project and contaminate agricultural land, thereby hindering the return of displaced people.[16] The LIS claimed that more than 30 percent of the country’s population of 3.7 million was affected by mines and/or UXO. [17]

Mine Action Program

National Mine Action Authority: The Minister of Defense is responsible for mine action in Lebanon, and the Council for Development and Reconstruction acts as the governmental coordinating agency for development projects, including mine action.[18]

Mine Action Centers: The National Demining Office, a part of the Lebanese Armed Forces, is responsible for implementing the End-State Strategy for Mine Action in Lebanon and for coordinating, managing and implementing all mine action. A special advisor for mine action advises the Minister of Defense. Two committees, for mine risk education and survivor assistance, have been established within the NDO to coordinate with other ministries.[19] The NDO experienced important changes in management with the appointment of a new head of operations in 2005, and a new director in February 2006; mine risk education and victim assistance became the responsibility of one individual rather than two.[20]

In 2005 and 2006, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) continued to support the institutional development of the NDO, especially its management capacity, through a chief technical advisor and a national mine action program officer.[21] NDO and MACC SL use version 3 of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), which is maintained at the NDO and receives data for all of Lebanon. Information related to the area south of the Litani river is managed by MACC SL. All information is synchronized periodically so that both NDO and MACC SL databases are fully updated. The UNIFIL Demining Coordination Cell has a read-only IMSMA (version 3) terminal.[22]

Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) reported that in 2005 it provided support to enhance the NDO’s ability to use LIS data in planning and prioritization. The tool used, Operations Explorer (OpEx), is compatible with IMSMA and fills the operational gap in planning and information retrieval requirements.[23]

Although the demining project in South Lebanon run by the United Arab Emirates-funded Operation Emirates Solidarity (OES) closed in June 2004, MACC SL continued to provide planning, coordination and quality assurance support to mine action operations in 2005 and 2006 in South Lebanon, including UNIFIL’s area of operation.[24] MACC SL is a joint operation of the UN and the Lebanese Armed Forces managed by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).[25]

The International Support Group (ISG) for mine action in Lebanon, which facilitated coordination and information sharing among national and international partners in mine action, has not met since December 2003. Following the cancellation of the ISG meeting scheduled for February 2005, the NDO held a “working level update” in December 2005 to inform and update ISG members.[26]

In 2005, the UNIFIL Demining Coordination Cell coordinated and managed operations undertaken by the Ukrainian battalion’s mine clearance platoon in support of the UNIFIL mission; the mission’s operational area was defined as the area south of the Litani river, totaling about 700 square kilometers.[27] In May 2005, the UN decided to withdraw all Ukrainian troops from UNIFIL, and they departed at the end of March 2006. The UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and UNMAS conducted an assessment mission to Lebanon in November 2005 to review suitable options for their replacement, including for demining.[28]

At the end of 2005, DPKO decided to deploy a Chinese military contingent. A DPKO pre-deployment visit to China in January 2006 concluded that the Chinese demining battalion would need extensive training and improved equipment in order to comply with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). In February 2006, Chinese media reported that the Chinese battalion was comprised of a mine-clearance company (with two police dogs to help clearance, an engineering company, a logistics company, an in-field hospital and road construction personnel).[29] On 1 April 2006, the demining battalion was deployed to Lebanon, and, as of May 2006, was undergoing training as part of the accreditation process for demining.[30]

National mine action legislation, policy and standards: There is no national mine action legislation in place in Lebanon. However, during 2005, the NDO initiated a medium-term project to institutionalize its structure, through formalizing the involvement of a broader representation of Lebanese national and local institutions in planning and coordination of mine action, thereby allowing greater civilian oversight. The NDO mandate was to be strengthened in order to become fully responsible for national management of the mine action program. Institutionalization aims to give “mine action in Lebanon the robust structure and documentation set necessary to fulfill mine action requirements in a transparent and cost-effective manner.”[31]

Within this framework, a draft National Mine Action Policy for Lebanon was developed by the NDO in 2005 in order to show transparency in priority setting for mine action, as well as to ensure that priorities are set by a broader section of Lebanese government institutions. The policy planned to establish formal coordination between the ministries of defense, education, social affairs, public health and labor. The policy will also include consultation with local authorities to ensure that local mine clearance priorities are incorporated into national programs. Also, “post-demining surveys” would be incorporated into the policy to determine if priority setting is efficient and matches the reality on the ground.[32]

The NDO structure has lacked the capacity to coordinate and plan demining operations.[33] To remedy this, the draft policy envisaged the creation of an operations office as a new capacity within the NDO to ensure that all mine action operations undertaken by the NDO, MACC SL and the Army Engineering Regiment are planned and coordinated by the NDO. An NDO charter, defining the roles and responsibilities of all NDO activities and personnel, was also expected to be drafted by the end of 2006.[34]

During 2005, the NDO introduced monitoring and quality assurance, and was tasked by the operations office to conduct all quality assurance functions involving accreditation, licensing and monitoring of the clearance organizations.[35]

The draft National Mine Action Policy was approved by the NDO in 2005; as of May 2006, the policy was under review by the office of the prime minister.[36]

No amendments were made to the national technical and standards guidelines, since they were amended in 2004, ostensibly to be in full compliance with IMAS. In 2005, the NDO had planned to develop national standards for mine risk education, victim assistance and mine action information management, but their completion was rescheduled for 2006.[37] As of May 2006, those standards were being developed with technical input from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). Finalization of the standards was not expected before the end of 2006.[38]

Strategic Planning and Progress

Following an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and UNDP in 2003, Lebanon launched a Mine Action Strategic Review project. This resulted in the development of an End-State Strategy for Mine Action in Lebanon in 2004. Subsequently, the NDO produced annual reports (for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005) as well as annual integrated workplans (for the years 2005 and 2006). The strategic review permitted the creation by the NDO of a new planning system for mine action incorporating the End-State Strategy and based on LIS data, the Long-Term Plan 2005-2009, annual integrated workplans and annual reports.[39]

The End-State Strategy was an attempt to integrate mine action with the country’s overall development strategy. It contained 12 guidelines for implementation. The concept was based on the assumption that Lebanon, like other countries that have experienced war, or preparations for war, is unlikely to become completely free of mines. Thus, it sought to create a national capacity to deal with residual contamination after the mine action program has formally been completed. The “demining end-state condition” is stated as one in which “all known dangerous areas where there is substantial threat to life and limb or which hinder socioeconomic development are demined to a level that is As Low As Reasonably Acceptable (ALARA), according to national laws and standards, and international mine action standards.” It also identifies the need for an effective explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capacity to map cleared or marked dangerous areas, and for coordination between mine/UXO awareness and demining.[40]

The Long-Term Plan 2005-2009, based on the End-State Strategy, set out plans to remove the impact of mines and UXO in all high and medium priority areas by late 2009 through survey, clearance, area reduction, marking and fencing. The plan has a vision of a Lebanon “free from the impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war.”[41] Future long-term plans will be developed with the aim of achieving this vision within 10-15 years.[42]

In 2005, Lebanon submitted its plan as part of the UNDP Completion Initiative; completion was defined as the elimination of high- and medium-risk minefields during the next three to five years and the development of a residual capacity to respond to the remaining contamination. The completion plan was due to be updated in early 2006 with new cost estimates based on the result of the technical survey. It was expected that the cost for completion would decrease by 20 to 30 percent because of the reduction of suspected areas following the technical survey.[43] Revision of the plan had not started as of May 2006.[44]

Lebanon’s Long-Term Plan 2005-2009 foresaw the elimination of the impact of landmines and ERW in all high- and medium-impacted areas by 2009, applying the “as low as reasonably acceptable” principle.[45] However, the National Plan for Completion has the objective for 2005-2009 of clearance of all high and medium priority areas by late 2010, while the specific objective for mine clearance is “completely eliminating the threat to all high and medium impact communities by the end of 2010 using ALARA principles and international and national standards.”[46] It is therefore unclear whether Lebanon plans full clearance of all high and medium areas or only removal of what is considered a threat.

In 2005 and 2006, mine action priorities in Lebanon were formulated by the Lebanese Armed Forces Command and the Minister of Defense with the advice of the NDO director. Other government departments were said to be consulted in the decision-making. Priorities were then implemented and monitored by the NDO through annual mine action goals.[47]

Objectives stated in the 2005 Integrated Work Plan (IWP) included: supervision, coordination and quality assurance of clearance tasks implemented by demining operators such as the Army Engineering Regiment, NGOs and commercial companies; and technical survey to further identify the mine problem and as a process of area reduction of suspected areas identified through the LIS.[48] According to the NDO, in 2005, clearance rates of the Army Engineering Regiment were hampered by the security situation in Lebanon and national elections. However, a large area―5.9 square kilometers―was returned to the civilian population in 2005 as a result of clearance and technical survey by the Engineering Regiment, UNIFIL and Mines Advisory Group.[49]

Efforts to build an EOD capacity continued as planned but with no tangible changes due to the security situation in 2005; RONCO Consulting Corporation confirmed that the US Department of State would continue to support this project until the end of 2008.[50]

The main objectives of the Integrated Work Plan for 2006 included quality management of all tasks implemented by commercial companies and NGOs, building of national capacity in all areas of mine action, and clearance and verification of minefields in accordance with national priorities and in areas needed for specific development projects (the roads from Marjeyoum to Nabatieh, from Tyre to Nakoura Road as well as the dam in Ebi-Essaqi). In 2006, the NDO also planned to continue the technical survey initiated in 2005. Marking of all areas requiring clearance was due to be completed in 2006.[51]

Technical survey in 2006 prioritized high impact communities identified by the LIS, and large mine-suspected areas.  According to RONCO, the survey’s primary goal was to return land to communities as quickly as possible.  The technical survey teams aimed to survey half of the area identified in the LIS (some 68 square kilometers).[52]

Since 2004, Lebanon is said to have given increased attention to post-clearance humanitarian factors and socioeconomic development, especially in South Lebanon. Although the UNDP socioeconomic project based in South Lebanon drafted project proposals in 2004 for rehabilitation of areas cleared of mines, no sponsored socioeconomic development projects connected with mine action were created in 2005 or 2006; cleared land was mainly developed by private or commercial enterprises.[53] In its 2006 Integrated Work Plan, the NDO saw its support of socioeconomic development increasing, for example with the post-clearance reconstruction of two roads and one dam.[54]

Capacity-building assistance to the NDO in 2005 was provided by the US departments of state and defense, UNDP and UNMAS.[56] The NDO was expected to rely on external assistance until 2009, although advisory services would be reduced.[57]

In 2005, US support to humanitarian demining in Lebanon included the gift of 35 vehicles to the program, personnel protective equipment, detectors and other mechanical equipment for the technical survey. RONCO provided technical expertise, trained NDO staff and the Army Engineering Regiment in technical survey, and conducted quality assurance of the survey. The US Department of Defense provided training in underwater UXO clearance.[58]

Evaluations of Mine Action

A review of the NDO mine action program was undertaken by GICHD in May 2006.[59] Results of the review were not available for this edition of the Landmine Monitor.

Demining

In 2005, Lebanon’s core demining assets included the Army Engineering Regiment’s demining teams and the NGO Mines Advisory Group (MAG). In 2005, the Engineering Regiment’s demining teams consisted of 38 supervisors, 240 deminers, 17 mine detection dog teams and mechanical equipment; there was also an eight-member technical survey team, 25 medical staff, 24 EOD personnel and 18 underwater EOD personnel. A 10-person survey team from the army was tasked and managed by MACC SL to conduct clearance within MACC SL’s area of operations.[60] Until March 2006, the Ukrainian demining battalion was also involved in demining, supporting the UNIFIL mission in South Lebanon.

MAG teams included 31 deminers, six mechanical staff and three medical staff.[61]

Identification of Mined Areas: Surveys and Assessments

The Lebanon Landmine Impact Survey, conducted by MAG with technical support from the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, was completed in August 2003 and certified by UNMAS in September 2004. The report was released in February 2005. According to the LIS, there are 28 communities highly impacted by mine contamination and more than 250 communities with medium or low impact. LIS data has been entered into the NDO and MACC SL databases.[62]

The national technical survey started in 2005, undertaken by the NDO and Army Engineering Regiment, with the support of RONCO. It is based on the LIS results and expected to last 24 months. The US provided equipment and training for technical survey and area reduction, in collaboration with RONCO, from January to March 2005.[63]

A trial period began on 9 May 2005, and by 21 October the technical survey was fully operational. By December 2005, 4,314,000 square meters had been surveyed, resulting in 2,956,000 square meters being cancelled and released to the population. Area reduction of a further 971,000 square meters and clearance of about 375,000 square meters was planned. In 2005, the survey teams worked in Mount Lebanon, one of the most affected provinces in the country.[64]

In 2006, as of 16 May, NDO technical survey teams had surveyed 9.8 square kilometers of suspected area, and 7.2 square kilometers had been cancelled or released. Further area reduction was planned on 1.2 square kilometers, and some 500,000 square meters were deemed to need clearance. In 2006, RONCO added a new category of “skip areas,” which are not surveyed either because they are being cleared or they are politically sensitive (for example, Palestinian military bases). In 2006, approximately 700,000 square meters had been skipped by May.[65]

The technical survey uses data verification, marking and fencing and area reduction teams. The data verification teams perform initial surveys of suspected sites, and recommend a plan of action.  When a clearance plan is developed, a fence is erected around the area and the clearance plan is passed onto the engineering regiment for execution.  Area reduction uses manual, mechanical and mine detection dog methods.[66]

In 2005, MACC SL completed survey and information gathering for the proposed Area 6, north of the Litani river.  All known minefields and dangerous areas were physically visited and investigated to determine the scope of work required. Of the 500 minefields and dangerous areas visited and assessed, 286 were confirmed and clearance plans prepared and 82, totaling 984,000 square meters, were cancelled and removed from the IMSMA database and released to the local community.[67] MACC SL explained that area cancellation is carried out by visual verification and community survey without deploying mine clearance assets.[68]

Marking and Fencing

Most of the 2,500 remaining minefields in Lebanon are not marked to international standards; according to the NDO, this has been due to lack of funding. However, the technical survey addressed marking and fencing in 2005. Areas left for further clearance (375,000 square meters in 2005) were marked and fenced by two strands of barbed wire on metal posts, with triangular mine signs.[69] Also in 2005, the Engineering Regiment with the assistance of MACC SL marked and fenced nine kilometers of minefield boundaries believed to pose a direct threat to the community along the Blue Line.[70]

Mine and ERW Clearance

According to the NDO database, during 2005, a total of 2,024,990 square meters was cleared, with 1,366 antipersonnel mines, 96 antivehicle mines and 31,566 UXO destroyed; a further 3,940,000 square meters was cancelled and released for use.[71]

Areas Cleared, Cancelled and Surveyed (square meters) and Mines/UXO Destroyed in Lebanon in 2005[72]

Operator
Area cleared
Antipersonnel mines
Antivehicle mines
UXO
Area cancelled
Area left future reduction/ clearance
Area of technical survey
Army clearance teams
1,855,528
351
67
31,473



Army technical survey teams




2,956,000
1,346,000
4,314,000
Army sampling teams
4,651
52
18
2



MACC SL




984,000


MAG
140,606
308
11
85



Ukrainian battalion
24,205
655
1
6



Total
2,024,990
1,366
97
31,566
3,940,000
1,346,000
4,314,000

In terms of clearance alone, productivity in 2005 was slightly below that of 2004 (2,083,459 square meters cleared; 2,929 antipersonnel mines, 287 antivehicle mines, 5,991 UXO destroyed).[73] The NDO explained that in 2005 the “clearance rates were hampered by the security situation in Lebanon and national elections.”[74] However, in total, 5.9 square kilometers of land were released to the population in 2005 through survey and clearance operations while only 2 square kilometers were released in 2004.[75]

MAG relocated its clearance operations to South Lebanon in May 2005, and MACC SL, on behalf of the NDO, provided operational planning, support and quality assurance. As a result, MACC SL reported that mine/UXO clearance and release of land to communities significantly increased in this area. By December 2005, 16 dangerous and other suspected hazardous areas had been cleared and released (over 93,000 square meters).[76] MAG clearance operations in 2005 in Mount Lebanon and Area 6 (the Israeli minefields at Sejoud)[77] resulted in clearance of 140,670 square meters and the destruction of 322 antipersonnel mines, 11 antivehicle mines and 85 UXO. MAG deployed two manual clearance teams (13 deminers each) and one mechanical team.[78]

In 2006, MAG clearance continued in Area 6, with 24,838 square meters cleared as of May 2006, destroying 38 antipersonnel mines, five antivehicle mines and 55 UXO. In 2006, MAG planned to increase its mine clearance capacity with the addition of a UK-sponsored third demining team.[79]

In October 2005, the government approved the start of clearance by MACC SL of minefields on or adjoining the Blue Line, in particular the minefield at Marun ar Ras. By the end of 2005, 70 antipersonnel mines had been cleared from that minefield by the 10-person Lebanese Army survey team, under the supervision of MACC SL.[80] As of May 2006, another 157 antipersonnel mines had been cleared.[81]

In South Lebanon, MACC SL reported that land cleared was mainly agricultural, grazing land and land used for housing.[82] The NDO reported that land is cleared firstly for agricultural and housing purposes, and secondly for tourism and commercial property.[83]

One deminer was injured in 2005; on 1 September, a MAG deminer was injured by a mine at the heavily contaminated Sejoud mine clearance site. Investigation concluded that there was no breach of standing operating procedures.[84] In the case of demining accidents, Army deminers are treated by the Army’s healthcare system and receive compensation. MAG has its own insurance policy and contracts a private insurance company.[85]

Mine Risk Education

In its annual report for 2005, NDO reported that 20 percent of affected areas still required mine risk education (MRE) and 35 percent needed refresher sessions.[86] Casualties from mines and UXO decreased between 2001 and 2004, but increased again in 2005. The significant decline until 2004 was largely credited to MRE efforts.[87]

Local NGOs with a network of 200 MRE-activists, the World Rehabilitation Fund (WRF)[88] and mine clearance organizations provide MRE in Lebanon. The Lebanon Mine Resource Center provides training support, and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) acts as a donor agency. MACC SL focuses on community liaison as part of demining/EOD and data gathering, and provides MRE and survivor assistance integrated with other mine action.[89]

The NDO coordinates all MRE activities in Lebanon through its mine risk education committee, which includes a representative of the Ministry of Education who facilitates MRE in schools. The NDO planned to develop national standards for MRE that will incorporate lessons learned and comply with IMAS.[90] A team from GICHD visited Lebanon for that purpose in May 2006.[91]

In 2005, 2,465 people were reached through MRE community meetings, excluding MRE provided in schools, according to the IMSMA database.[92] It was planned to revisit 300 villages and their schools in 2005; however, security conditions caused almost all MRE activities to be halted between February and October.[93] A theater play targeting school children reached 55,000 students and more than 2,000 teachers.[94] In October 2005, staff from the LMRC visited a sample of schools who had attended the play; 65 percent knew at least three MRE messages from the play, and 15 out of 25 teachers visited had undertaken MRE activities in their schools.[95]

MRE campaigns were launched in mine-affected villages and towns in north Lebanon and Keserwan in 2005, involving meetings with municipality and social leaders, school visits, door to door visits, meetings with the villagers and farmers, and the distribution of MRE materials.[96] Other MRE activities included “capacity building lectures, workshops and conferences for local and international organizations, and the participation in activities such as summer and scouts camp”; MRE was also provided in military training camps for “officers-to-be and military recruits.”[97]

The NDO has stated that it aims to target all sectors of the population.[98] Since 2004, school-based MRE in mine-affected areas has received strong emphasis in Lebanon, however, MRE is not yet part of the official school curriculum. MRE training of teachers continued in 2005, conducted for 300 teachers by RONCO.[99] NPA supported the training of 142 school teachers in August-September 2005, mainly in Beirut. To evaluate the school-based MRE program, the MRE committee visited approximately 50 schools and interviewed around 2, 500 students; 85 percent of children surveyed knew at least three out of five of the MRE messages.[100] Although a UNICEF assessment in 2004 recommended that MRE should focus on schools, casualty data indicated that the major at-risk group is older than 20 years (72 percent of casualties were aged 21 to 50 years).[101] The NDO stated, “The overwhelming number of males among civilian casualties emphasizes the importance of gender considerations in mine risk education and mine victim assistance.”[102] It is not clear how the MRE strategy in Lebanon takes these age and gender specifics into consideration. Herding and tampering with mines and UXO continued to be a major cause of casualties in South Lebanon.

NDO reported that it used “...a holistic approach that involves the launching of MRE campaigns, the training of key MRE activists and the integration of MRE into the national educational system of Lebanon.”[103] Campaigns are based on a needs assessment undertaken region by region, supervised by NDO and its MRE Committee.[104]

The majority of MRE activities were undertaken by about 200 civilian volunteers, over 750 teachers, and the community liaison officers of clearance operators. Activists receive five days of training in addition to a one day refresher course; they must have three years of community development experience. All volunteers receive a stipend to cover transportation costs.[105]

NPA supported 18 MRE and 117 refresher sessions between July 2005 and May 2006, and around 120 MRE sessions in South Lebanon in mid-2005.[106]

Twelve mine/UXO safety briefings were conducted by MACC SL for 68 newly arrived UN observer group monitors in 2005.[107] European Union election observers also received a briefing package on 31 May 2005.[108]

Community liaison teams were deployed by the NDO and MACC SL.

A DVD “Beware Mines” was produced in 2005 by WRF for children and adults. A training kit for teachers was also developed and pilot tested.[109]

NDO also uses television interviews, press releases and public events to raise general awareness of the dangers of mines and UXO.[110] The Beirut International Marathon and Dance for Mine Action, both in November 2005, and International Mine Awareness Day on 4 April 2006, were also used to spread awareness as well as raise funds.[111]

Funding and Assistance

Lebanon received some US$6.3 million in international mine action funding in 2005. A larger amount was received in 2004 ($9.7 million).[112] NDO records the following international donations for 2005:[113]

  • France: €110,000 ($136,939) for training conducted in France;
  • Norway: NOK10 million ($1,552,506), consisting of NOK3 million ($465,752) for survivor assistance by NPA, and NOK7 million ($1,086,754) for MAG demining activities;
  • Saudi Arabia: $570,000 for demining equipment;
  • UAE: $310,000 in support of MACC SL operations;
  • UK: $145,564 for a UNDP capacity-building project;
  • UNDP: $94,300 for a UNDP capacity-building project;
  • UNICEF: $19,800 to reprint MRE material;
  • UNIFIL: $482,000 for MACC SL coordination and information management;
  • US: $3 million from the Department of State to RONCO for demining equipment, vehicles and health kits.

The NDO also recorded contributions of $10,000 from the Lebanese community in Liberia and OMR3,864 ($10,026) from the Lebanese community in Oman.[114] These funds were received, but not spent, in 2005. The NDO also received in-kind assistance, which was not costed.[115]

Three donors reported contributions totaling $6,449,823 for mine action in Lebanon in 2005, an increase from 2004 ($5,180,984 donated by six countries). The donor countries in 2005 were Norway, NOK13,999,314 ($2,173,402);[116] Switzerland, CHF8,000 ($6,421);[117] and the US, $4,270,000.[118]

MACC SL received contributions totalling $1,159,700 in 2005. Although this is a slight increase from $1,552,485 in 2004, there is a clear trend of diminishing funding since Operation Emirates Solidarity ended in 2004.[119] The MACC SL Annual Report 2005 identified an “urgent and immediate need to secure further funds” for mine clearance. The report also observed that the increases in mine incidents experienced in 2005 “will not abate” if funding continues to decline.[120] In late 2005 and early 2006, media reports expressed concerns that the continuation of clearance activities was seriously threatened by a lack of finances.[121]

The UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Mine Action reported having received $510,000 for Lebanon in 2005 ($310,000 from the UAE and $200,000 from the UK).[122] More was received in 2004 ($890,885 from three countries).[123 ] UNDP’s Thematic Trust Fund for Crisis Prevention and Recovery did not report receiving any contributions for Lebanon in 2005.[124]

For 2005, RONCO recorded contributions of $2.3 million from the US Department of State, $1 million from the US Department of Defense and additional funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). RONCO reports that since US fiscal year 1998, the US has provided $14,098,000 in humanitarian mine action assistance to Lebanon (Department of State, $8,978,000; Department of Defense, $2,400,000; USAID, $2,700,000).[125]

Landmine/UXO Casualties

In 2005, at least 22 new landmine/UXO casualties were recorded, including five people killed and 17 injured; all were civilians, three were female and seven were younger than 18 years.[126] This is a significant increase compared to 2004, when 14 new mine/UXO casualties (two killed, 12 injured) were recorded, and similar to 2003 (26 casualties).[127] The Lebanon Landmine Resource Center recorded 22 casualties but reportedly the NDO recorded 26 casualties in 2005, including five killed and 21 injured.[128]

The majority of casualties are from South Lebanon, mainly Marjeyoun and Nabatieh, and incidents occurred during recreational activities (28 percent), while collecting scrap metal (28 percent), or while collecting edible plants (28 percent). In 2005, two Army deminers and one MAG deminer were injured during mine clearance operations.[129] In September 2005, a Lebanese staff member of the Kuwaiti Embassy in Lebanon died and two others were injured by UXO (a grenade) they were playing with.[130] In December 2005, a Sudanese citizen was injured in Tayyouneh, near Beirut, when UXO exploded.[131]

The NDO attributed the increase in casualties to the economic situation; landowners reclaim fenced land for use although it has not been cleared, and there has been an upsurge in the scrap metal trade.[132]

In 2006, as of May, there were several landmine, cluster bomb and grenade incidents, but only two incidents caused casualties. Two men were killed and a woman was injured by a grenade. On 17 May, a shepherd was killed by a mine in Souk al-Gharb, Mount Lebanon. No deminers were killed during mine clearance operations.[133]

The Lebanon Mine Resource Center at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Balamand maintains a mine casualty database, providing both the NDO and MACC SL with casualty data for their IMSMA databases. In 2004, it completed data collection in Chouf and Aley, the two most mine-affected districts of Mount Lebanon province, under NDO supervision. As of May 2006, the database contained records of 2,239 survivors; 41 percent were injured by antipersonnel mines, nine percent by antivehicle mines, 10 percent by cluster bombs and 40 percent by other UXO and “strange objects.” Updating of the database is ongoing.[134]

In June 2005, Lebanon stated that 3,975 landmine casualties (1,835 killed, 2,140 injured) had been identified since 1970, with 34 percent of casualties aged 31-40 years.[135] Data from the LIS is included in the NDO and MACC SL databases.[136]

Survivor Assistance

The NDO is the focal point for survivor assistance activities in Lebanon. The NDO’s End-State Strategy of December 2004 aims to achieve the successful reintegration of mine/UXO survivors into society, “with appropriate support for individual cases provided through a national system,” and to eventually hand over assistance programs to national entities with responsibilities to address the needs of survivors.[137]

The NDO Long Term Plan 2005-2009, launched on 8 December 2005, stated that, “Victim Assistance continues to suffer from a lack of funding; however the NDO is supporting the inclusion of mine victim specific language in the law on the rights of persons with disabilities through the Ministry of Social Affairs.” The Long Term Plan aimed to make victim assistance available in all its aspects to grant mine survivors their full legal rights “through the coordination of mine victim support provided by concerned ministries, international and national governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions.”[138] The NDO does not coordinate providers of survivor assistance. To ensure high quality, it planned to develop national standards which organizations must meet in order to qualify for accreditation; they will also receive information about relevant ministries and actors in order to avoid duplication of activities.[139]

NDO workplans for 2005 and 2006 include the objectives of assisting survivors in accessing medical, social, psychological and economic services, continuing income-generating programs, facilitating loans for survivors, capacity-building of NGOs and survivors, and assisting with the participation of survivors in national and international events and activities, as well as developing national standards.[140] Due to the ongoing socio-political tension in Lebanon, little progress has been made by survivor assistance programs; in the first three months of 2006, no donor funds were received for such projects.[141]

The government pays for initial, but not for long-term hospital care. Most Lebanese citizens have access to services and are covered by state social insurance. However, the National Social Security Fund has had funding difficulties and the Ministry of Health has not been able to finance hospitals for their services, leaving Lebanese who cannot afford private insurance in a precarious situation.[142]

The Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Affairs and NGOs provide rehabilitation services; there are over 30 physical rehabilitation centers.[143] The costs of prosthetics, physiotherapy and rehabilitation are usually covered by the state. NGOs provide the services and are later reimbursed for the costs.[144] Some of these services were not functioning to capacity in 2005-2006 due to government funding constraints.[145] People requiring a prosthesis receive the first one for free, but after that they cannot get free repairs or replacements for two years, which is especially problematic for children. The NDO hoped to change this policy for young people and children.[146] There is no coordination between the Ministry of Health and the Council of the South; however, the NDO planned to create a network between all the relevant stakeholders to avoid overlap.[147]

Support to landmine survivors and other people with disabilities is also provided through the Ministry of Social Affairs, which issues a disability card giving access to free services, literacy programs and welfare. However, services are limited due to a lack of funding. The Ministry of Labor runs the National Employment Institute, which provides vocational training, through NGOs, to all those who need it including disabled people. However, the capacity is limited and centers are usually in urban areas.[148]

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supported the Sidon Orphan Welfare Society, covering Sidon and two neighboring Palestinian refugee camps with the supply of materials and components, technical support and financial assistance to cover the cost of services for Palestinian refugees. In 2005, the Sidon center assisted more than 120 people, and produced 25 prostheses and 21 orthoses; it is not known if any prostheses were for landmine survivors. ICRC focused solely on Palestinian refugees, as they do not have access to physical rehabilitation under the Lebanese health/social welfare system. In 2006, ICRC will focus on assisting Palestinians gain access to orthotic services. [149]

The US-based World Rehabilitation Fund implements activities in cooperation with NDO and partner organizations for the socioeconomic reintegration of mine survivors. It provides technical and material assistance in support of capacity-building and income-generating activities. WRF funds and supports the Jezzine Landmine Survivor Cooperative; by December 2005, more than 1,000 people, including 313 mine/UXO survivors, and families of those killed in mine/UXO incidents and their dependents had benefited from the project. In 2005, 41 new mine survivors benefited from the program, but there was a waiting list due to funding limitations. As of February 2006, 139 of the project’s graduates had sufficient and lasting income. Social counseling, job placement and extracurricular activities are also available for mine survivors and their families. WRF supports the Lebanon Mine Resource Center in data collection and analysis and is an active member of the NDO victim assistance committee. Main achievements in 2005 were the enlargement of the program to include all war victims, launching a new agricultural production line and increasing the average monthly income of the beneficiaries to $250. The WRF project in Jezzine is supported by USAID and Leahy War Victims Fund; the Ministry of Agriculture provides technical support and NDO provides advocacy support. An external evaluation of the project concluded that the Jezzine Landmine Survivor Cooperative is economically sustainable and financially viable.[150]

Norwegian People’s Aid continued to implement survivor assistance programs, in cooperation with NDO, either directly or through eight partners. It developed a code of conduct and workplan to enhance the capacity of its partners, to improve coordination and to expand outreach to assist more survivors.[151] In 2005, 453 mine/UXO survivors received direct services from NPA, and many others participated in public events. There was a waiting list due to financial restrictions. NPA provided 35 mine survivors with micro-loans, 44 survivors with artificial limbs and 10 others with other assistive devices, made one private home and two NGO centers accessible, and covered the medical costs for four survivors. In 2006, NPA equipped three ambulances with emergency and trauma kits and supported a summer camp for Arab mine survivors scheduled for September 2006. In 2006, NPA approached an external evaluator for the micro-credit schemes operated by local partners.[152]

In 2005, the Lebanon Mine Resource Center undertook the Impact Assessment Study of Income Generating Projects for Landmine Survivors in Lebanon, with funding from NPA ($5,000) and interviewed 20 survivors; 25 percent were not satisfied with the services and stated that they needed further financial assistance, better training and, in two cases, that physical limitations impeded progress. In 2005 through March 2006, the center revisited landmine survivors injured between 2000 and 2005. It organized focus group meetings with mine survivors from different regions to assess their needs, find out their aspirations and the anticipated role they would like to play, provided they received adequate training. Preliminary results showed that security and socioeconomic conditions in the country were perceived as a major obstacle; support was needed for tuition fees for the children of survivors; and receiving health insurance and appropriate income-generating projects were priorities. NPA funded this activity ($10,000). The center contributed to activities advocating for the implementation of the 2000 Access and Rights of the Disabled Law in Lebanon and for the proposed Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.[153]

The Lebanese Welfare Association for the Handicapped provides hospitalization and medical follow-up, physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support, micro-credit schemes, and advocacy and awareness-raising for landmine survivors and their families in South Lebanon. It also supports the Mine Survivors Club, which compiled a detailed needs assessment file for each survivor, and offered a small package of basic nutritional items to each household visited. The association runs the Nabih Berri Rehabilitation Center in Nabatieh which, in 2005, produced 29 prostheses and 112 orthoses, and provided 293 wheelchairs, 145 crutches, 177 water mattresses and 11 walkers. The association also provided eight micro-credit loans to landmine survivors, with a budget of $10,000 provided by NPA. It established a landmine survivor football team with a trainer specialized in disability sports; the team also received psychosocial support services. The association is partially funded by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Affairs, WRF and UNICEF, as well as NPA.[154]

Al-Jarha Welfare Association for the War Wounded and Disabled in Lebanon works with survivors and other people with disabilities to promote their reintegration through the provision of physiotherapy and prosthetic devices, vocational training, equipment and income-generating projects. Al-Jarha provides recreational opportunities and organizes disabled sports events. In 2005, 317 war-injured, including 173 mine/UXO survivors, were assisted. Al-Jarha’s prosthetic center provided 10 prosthetic devices, six wheelchairs and 12 pairs of crutches to mine/UXO survivors; the vocation training center trained 20 survivors. All services are free of charge and free transport is also available for those who cannot afford it. The organization provides support for the payment of tuition fees for children, and wives of war-injured are accepted for the vocational training courses. Al-Jarha is a member of the National Council for the Disabled and advocates for the Access and Rights of the Disabled Law. In 2005, Al-Jarha had an annual budget of $253,472, of which $203,773 was spent on direct social assistance, $39,600 on health and medical care, and $10,100 on vocational training and rehabilitation; this does include the support Al-Jarha receives from NPA.[155]

Vision Association for Development, Rehabilitation and Care provides referral services for medical care, physical rehabilitation, vocational training, micro-credit schemes (including interest-free loans), job placement and accessibility projects. Vision Association manages two first aid centers and trained 35 volunteers in first aid. In 2005, the first aid centers were visited by 30 landmine survivors. Vision Association provided 125 prostheses, 100 wheelchairs and 300 crutches, walkers and water mattresses. In 2005, 12 landmine survivors were assisted with kiosks; 60 landmine survivors participated in different vocational training activities and 16 benefited from the income-generating program managed with funds from NPA ($10,000).[156]   

The National Center for Development and Rehabilitation in West Mount Lebanon, provides data collection, emergency medical care, physical rehabilitation, vocational training, psychosocial support, awareness raising and advocacy for legislation implementation, with support from NPA, Balamand University and the Ministry of Health. In 2005, 72 people with disabilities, including 24 landmine survivors, received rehabilitation services and 212 beneficiaries received vocational training, including several landmine survivors. Between 2000 and 2005, the center provided 523 prosthetic devices, 108 wheelchairs, and 194 crutches. The center has 15 physiotherapists and prosthetic specialists, and six psychologists. It operates with an annual budget of approximately $100,000, provided through local funding, government support and donor agencies (including NPA).[157]

The Islamic Health Council operates an extensive ambulance network and first aid training with NPA and WRF support in South Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. In 2005, it started a small micro-credit and socioeconomic reintegration program. As of February 2006, it had provided five survivors with cows and/or chickens for farming activities; NPA provided $7,500 for this activity. After an NPA evaluation of the first phases of the project it was decided to provide additional on-the-job training for the cow farmers. Socioeconomic, political and security conditions, as well as well as the bird flu scare hampered operations. The ambulance service and maintenance requires an annual budget of $20,000, raised from local fundraising; first aid training is done on a voluntary basis with WRF and NPA support.[158]

The Welfare Association for the Handicapped in Nabatiyah (WAHNAB) provides prosthetic services, physiotherapy, vocational training and micro-credit, as well as various advocacy and awareness-raising activities. WAHNAB was the first organization in Lebanon to start micro-credit projects for landmine survivors and people with disabilities in 1987. In 2005, WAHNAB assisted 300 people including 100 landmine survivors. WAHNAB provided 41 prosthetic devices, 16 wheelchairs, 75 crutches and 75 other mobility aids. WAHNAB has 10 prosthetic specialists and physiotherapists. WAHNAB provided vocational training for 50 beneficiaries in 2005. For families, assistance with school fees and psychological support were provided. The NPA evaluation of the program in 2005 was favorable. The 2005 annual budget of WAHNAB exceeded $100,000, from international donors.[159]

Other organizations assisting people with disabilities in Lebanon include the Philanthropic Association for Disabled Care in Nabatiyah, Association of Volunteers in International Service and Handicap International (HI).[160]

In March 2005, one landmine survivor from Lebanon participated in training (in Amman, Jordan) on human rights, advocacy and the Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. Another survivor participated in a similar training in Beirut in September 2005.[161]

Landmine survivors also participated in the 2005 Beirut marathon together with NDO and MACC SL staff and NGOs. A regional marathon was scheduled for June 2006 to support mine action in Lebanon. MACC SL organized a dancing evening to raise awareness and funding for mine action in Lebanon on 21 November 2005, collecting $6,000, which was donated to MAG. [162] A similar event on 4 April 2006 raised $12,000.[163]

On 27 September 2005, MAG organized a football match between its deminers and a team of landmine survivors.[164]

Disability Policy and Practice

Lebanon has legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities; however, the law is reportedly not yet effective.[165] Reportedly, the Civil Service Board, in charge of recruiting government employees, refused to receive applications from disabled people. The law stipulates that people with disabilities should fill three percent of all government and private sector positions, but this is not enforced in practice.[166]

The Long Term Plan 2005-2009 states that the NDO will “Advocate, in coordination with the Ministries of Social Affairs and Health, for the provision of funding by the Government for the implementation of the “Access and Rights of the Disabled” law.[167]

Approximately 100,000 people were disabled during the war and are mainly cared for by the family support network and approximately 100 NGOs and private organizations.[168]


[1] See for example, statement of Amb. Michel Haddad, First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, Nairobi, 3 December 2004. The Ambassador cited the “failure of the Government of Israel to submit all the maps showing the deployment of landmines,” and the “continued occupation by Israel of parts of Southern Lebanon.” He also stated, “Israel, which continues to produce and use landmines, has not instituted a national demining program, willingly makes statements through its officials that demining is no longer Israel’s priority. In addition, Israel refuses to adhere to the Ottawa Convention in order to escape its obligations towards peace and human rights.”
[2] Confidential interviews in Beirut, 13 and 18 December 2005, and 7, 12, 16 and 28 January 2006. In public remarks at the opening ceremony on 16 January 2006 of the Engaging Youth in Mine Action workshop, the ambassadors of Canada and the Netherlands spoke of Lebanon’s important steps towards joining the Mine Ban Treaty.
[3] Email reports from Amb. Satnam Jit Singh, ICBL Diplomatic Advisor, 15, 18 and 19 June 2006.
[4] In December 1999, Lebanon became the first and only country to ever vote against the annual pro-ban UNGA resolution. It was among the small number of countries abstaining from voting each year from 2000 to 2004.
[5] NDO, Lebanon Mine Action Program, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 9. As of mid-2006, Lebanon had not joined CCW.
[6] UNMACC SL, “2005 Annual Report,” 23 January 2006, p. 8.
[7] Lebanon attended the First Review Conference in Nairobi in November-December 2004, as well as all the intersessional meetings in 2003 and 2004.
[8] Information provided by Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, Beirut, 14 March 2006.
[9] Statement by Amb. Michel Haddad, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004.
[10] UNMACC SL, “2005 Annual Report,” 23 January 2006, p. 8.
[11] NDO, Lebanon Mine Action Program, “Annual Report 2004,” p. 2.
[12] UNDP, “The Completion Initiative Concept Paper and National Plans,” 15 June 2005, p. 57; “Report of the UN Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),” S/2006/26, 18 January 2006, p. 1.
[13] NDO, Lebanon Mine Action Program, “Annual Report 2004,” p. 2.
[14] UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), “Annual Report 2005,” New York, 2006, p. 52.
[15] UN, “Country profile: Lebanon,” www.mineaction.org, accessed 28 July 2005; see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 1054-1055.
[16] UN, “Country profile: Lebanon.”
[17] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 800.
[18] UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 252.
[19] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 801.
[20] Interview with Col. Khaled El-Alieh, Head of the Mine Risk Education and Victim Assistance sections, NDO, Beirut, 17 March 2006.
[21] UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 252; telephone interview with Allan Poston, Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP/NDO, 18 May 2006.
[22] Interviews with Richard Sayegh and Col. Marwan Sakr, IT Section, NDO, Beirut, 7 January 2005; interview with Beat Schoch, IMSMA Technical Advisor, NDO, Beirut, 26 February 2005; see Landmine Monitor Report 2004,
p. 1055.
[23] Email from William Barron, VVAF, 5 July 2006.
[24] For details of the OES project, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 801; MACC SL, “Quarterly Report, January to March 2006,” p. 2.
[25] UNMAS, “Annual Report 2005,” New York, 2006, p. 51.
[26] NDO, “Lebanon Mine Action Program, Annual Report 2005,” p. 9; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 801.
[27] MACC SL, “Quarterly Report, October to December 2004,” p. 4; MACC SL, “Quarterly report, January to March 2006,” p. 2.
[28] MACC SL, “Quarterly report, January to March 2006,” p. 2; emails from Christopher Clark, Chief Technical Advisor/Programme Manager, MACC SL, 28 April and 12 May 2006.
[29] “China sets up peace-keeping battalion for Lebanon mission,” Xinhua (China), 28 February 2006; “China sends police dogs to join UN landmine clearance mission in Lebanon,” Xinhua, 2 March 2006.
[30] MACC SL, “Quarterly report, January to March 2006,” p. 2; emails from Christopher Clark, 28 April and 12 May 2006.
[31] NDO, “Annual report 2005,” undated but 2006, p. 8.
[32] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2006,” p. 7; “Annual Report 2005,” p. 8; interview with Gen. Salim Raad, Director, NDO, Beirut, 12 January 2006.
[33] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2006,” pp. 7-8; telephone interview with Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 18 May 2006.
[34] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2006,” p. 7; interview with Gen. Salim Raad, NDO, Beirut, 12 January 2006.
[35] NDO, “Integrated Working Plan 2006,” undated, p. 10.
[36] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 8; telephone interview with Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 17 May 2006.
[37] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2006,” p. 7.
[38] Email from Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 25 May 2006.
[39] UN, “2006 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 252; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 801-802.
[40] NDO, Lebanon Mine Action Program, “End-State Strategy (ESS) for Mine Action in Lebanon, Demining End-State Condition,” 2004, p. 9.
[41] NDO, Lebanon Mine Action Program, “Long-Term Plan 2005-2009,” 8 December 2005, pp. 3-9.
[42] UNDP, “The Completion Initiative Concept Paper and National Plans,” 15 June 2005, p. 58.
[43] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” undated but 2006, pp. 9-10.
[44] Email from Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 25 May 2006.
[45] NDO, “Long Term Plan 2005-2009,” pp. 3-8.
[46] NDO/UNDP, “National Plan for Completion,” May 2005, pp. 3-4.
[47] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 3.
[48] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2005,” p. 11.
[49] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” pp. 3-4; interviews with Gen. Salim Raad, NDO, and Col. Roland Abou Jawdeh, Head of Engineering Regiment, NDO, Beirut, 18 December 2005.
[50] Interview with Patrick van Beuge, Project Manager, RONCO, Beirut, 17 March 2006; email from H. Murphey McCloy Jr., Senior Demining Advisor, US Department of State, 7 July 2006.
[51] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2006,” undated, p. 11.
[52] Email from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 17 May 2006.
[53] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 11; email from Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 17 May 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 803.
[54] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2006,” p. 9.
55 Interview with Gen. Salim Raad, NDO, Beirut, 10 November 2005.
[56] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” undated but 2006, p. 5 and 14.
[57] UNDP, “The Completion Initiative Concept Paper and National Plans,” 15 June 2005, p. 57.
[58] Email from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 18 May 2006.
[59] Telephone interview with Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 17 May 2006.
[60] Email from Rana Elias, Programme Information Officer, MACC SL, 7 July 2006.
[61] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 4; email from Andy Gleeson, Technical Operations Manager, MAG, Lebanon, 22 May 2006.
[62] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1055.
[63] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 5. The survey was funded by the US Department of State. Email from H. Murphey McCloy Jr., US Department of State, 7 July 2006.
[64] Interview with Lt. Col. Marwan Sakr, NDO, Beirut, 3 March 2006; NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 5; email from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 17 May 2006.
[65] Email from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 17 May 2006.
[66] Ibid.
[67] MACC SL, “Quarterly report, September to December 2005,” p. 4; email from Christopher Clark, MACC SL, 28 April 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 803-804.
[68] Email from Christopher Clark, MACC SL, 12 May 2006.
[69] NDO, “Annual Report 2004,” p. 15; “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action 2005,” p. 12; emails from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 17 and 18 May 2006.
[70] MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 1; email from Christopher Clark, MACC SL, 12 May 2006.
[71] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 5.
[72] Ibid; MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 3; email from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 18 May 2006.
[73] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 804.
[74] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 4.
[75] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 803-806. There was no release of land by survey in 2004; all land had been released through clearance operations.
[76] MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 4.
[77] Between 2002 and 2004, Operation Emirates Solidarity cleared and released 4.9 square kilometers in former Israeli-occupied territories in South Lebanon; the project closed in June 2004, with clearance incomplete in Area 6. See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 805-806.
[78] MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 4; NDO in its 2005 report noted MAG clearance as 64 square meters less and 14 antipersonnel mines less. MAG explained this must result from a one week difference in the reporting period. Emails from Andy Gleeson, MAG, Lebanon, 22 and 24 May 2006.
[79] Email from Christopher Clark, MACC SL, 28 April 2006; email from Andy Gleeson, MAG, Lebanon, 22 May 2006.
[80] Email from Rana Elias, MACC SL, 7 July 2006.
[81] Email from Christopher Clark, MACC SL, 28 April and 12 May 2006.
[82] Ibid.
[83] Email from Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 16 May 2006.
[84] MACC SL, “Quarterly Report, July to September 2005,” p. 4.
[85] Email from Allan Poston, UNDP/NDO, 25 May 2006.
[86] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 2.
[87] Ibid, pp. 7, 11; MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 11. See Landmine/UXO Casualties section for details.
[88] In 2005, WRF continued its victim assistance project in Jezzine including some MRE.
[89] MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 7.
[90] NDO, “Long Term Plan 2005-2009,” Enabling Objective 2.5, p. 8.
[91] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 24 May 2006.
[92] MRE IMSMA report provided to Landmine Monitor on 23 March 2006. The breakdown by region is 62 adults in Beirut, 40 youth and 250 youth/adults in South Lebanon, 80 adults and 503 youth/adults in Mount Lebanon, and 435 youth and 1095 youth/adults in Nabatiyah.
[93] Information provided by Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, Beirut, 14 March 2006.
[94] Information provided by Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, Beirut, 14 June 2005.
[95] Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, conducted the work in the presence of Abdallah Noureddine, representative of the Islamic Health Council.
[96] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 6; email from Anissa Sabaayon, Coordinator, Landmine Action and Relief Program, NPA Lebanon, 24 May 2006.
[97] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 6.
[98] Ibid, p. 12.
[99] Email from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 18 May 2006.
[100] Interview with Col. Taneer, former head of the MRE Section at the NDO, National MRE Committee Meeting, 13 October 2005.
[101] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 13.
[102] Ibid.
[103] NDO, “Long Term Plan 2005-2009,” Enabling Objective 2.5, p. 7.
[104] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 23 May 2006.
[105] Information provided by Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, Beirut, 14 June 2005.
[106] Emails from Anissa Sabaayon, NPA Lebanon, 31 March 2006 and 24 May 2006.
[107] MACC SL, “Annual Report,” p. 6.
[108] MACC SL, “Quarterly Report, October to December 2005,” p. 5.
[109] Information provided by Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, Beirut, 14 March 2006.
[110] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” pp. 6, 10.
[111] MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 8; email from Christopher Clark, UNMACC SL, 15 March 2006; meeting of MRE committee, 23 March 2006; MACC SL, “Quarterly Report, October to December 2005,” p. 2; MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” pp. 8-9.
[112] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 808-809.
[113] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” Annex A. Currency conversion at average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = US$1.2449; US$1 = NOK6.4412. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006. The NPA victim assistance contribution was from 2004 to the end of 2005.
[114] NDO, “Annual Report 2005, ” Annex A. Average exchange rate for 2005: US$1 = OMR0.38539. Landmine Monitor estimate based on www.oanda.com.
[115] NDO, “Annual Report 2005,” Annex A.
[116] Email from Annette A. Landell-Mills, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: US$1 = NOK6.4412. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[117] Email from Rémy Friedmann, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 28 April 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: US$1 = CHF1.2459. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[118] USG Historical Chart containing data for FY 2005, by email from Angela L. Jeffries, Financial Management Specialist, US Department of State, 8 June 2006.
[119] MACC SL, “Annual Report 2005,” Annex C.
[120] Ibid, p. 5.
[121] See Jessy Chahine, “Old Bombs Continue to Maim as Support for De-Mining Dwindles,” Daily Star (Beirut), 6 December 2005; Linda Dahdah, “Lebanon: Resurgence in Landmine Injuries, Fatalities,” IRIN (Beirut), 2 January 2006.
[122] UNMAS, “Annual Report 2005,” p. 61. These amounts were recorded by NDO and have not been included in the total of $6.3 million.
[123 ] UNMAS, “Annual Report 2004,” p. 33.
[124] UNDP, “Mine Action Contributions to UNDP’s Thematic Trust Fund for Crisis Prevention and Recovery,” 20 April 2006.
[125] Email from Patrick van Beuge, RONCO, Lebanon, 17 May 2006.
[126] Unless otherwise stated, information on landmine casualties is taken from the LMRC database as of May 2006.
[127] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 809; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1061.
[128] “Land-mine victims on the rise,” IRIN, 4 January 2006, www.irinnews.org, accessed 3 May 2006.
[129] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 2 May 2006.
[130] “Granaat ontploft op ambassade Koeweit (Grenade explodes in Kuwaiti Embassy),” De Standaard (Beirut), 21 September 2005.
[131] Jessy Chahine, “Old bombs continue to maim as support for de-mining dwindles,” Daily Star (Beirut), 16 December 2005.
[132] Interview with Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, and Chairman, NMVA, Geneva, 9 May 2006.
[133] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 2 May 2006.
[134] Ibid.
[135] Presentation by Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 17 June 2005.
[136] “Landmine Impact Survey - Lebanon,” SAC, Washington DC, February 2005, pp. 20, 23-24.
[137] NDO, “End-State Strategy (ESS) for Mine Action in Lebanon,” Beirut, December 2004, p. 7.
[138] NDO, “Long Term Plan 2005-2009,” Beirut, 8 December 2005, pp. 3, 7-8.
[139] Interview with Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, Geneva, 9 May 2006.
[140] NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action in 2005,” Annex C; NDO, “Integrated Work Plan for Mine Action in 2006,” pp. 6-7.
[141] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 2 May 2006; Mine Action Support Group, “MASG Newsletter-First Quarter of 2006,” Washington DC, 1 May 2006.
[142] “Landmine Impact Survey - Lebanon,” SAC, Washington DC, February 2005, pp. 35-36; interview with Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, Geneva, 9 May 2006; email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, Beirut, 4 May 2006.
[143] ICRC, “Physical Rehabilitation Programme - Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, July 2006, p. 44.
[144] Interview with Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, Geneva, 9 May 2006; email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 2 May 2006.
[145] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 4 May 2006.
[146] Interview with Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, Geneva, 9 May 2006.
[147] Email from Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, 27 July 2005; see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1062.
[148] Email from Lt. Col. Khaled El-Alieh, NDO, 27 July 2005.
[149] ICRC, “Physical Rehabilitation Programme - Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, July 2006, p. 44. For details of services in South Lebanon, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 810.
[150] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Nadim Karam, Country Director, WRF, Beirut, 28 February 2006.
[151] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Anissa Sabaayon, Mine Action Program Coordinator, NPA Lebanon, Beirut, 27 February 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 810-811.
[152] Email from Anissa Sabaayon, NPA Lebanon, Beirut, 31 March 2006.
[153] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 20 March 2006.
[154] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire from Nada Abdallah, Victim Assistance Project Officer, Lebanese Welfare Association for the Handicapped, 25 February 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 811.
[155] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire from Imad Khoshman, Victim Assistance Project Officer, Al-Jarha, Beirut, 27 February 2006.
[156] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire from Dr. Nasser Abou Ltaif, Head, Vision Association, Beirut, 18 May 2006.
[157] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire from Ziad Khowayss, Manager, Victim Assistance Portfolio, NCDR, Beirut, 25 February 2006.
[158] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire from Abdallah Noureddine, Victim Assistance Coordinator, Islamic Health Council, 17 February 2006.
[159] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire from Nada Ismail, Head, WAHNAB, 17 March 2006.
[160] “Landmine Impact Survey - Lebanon,” SAC, Washington DC, February 2005, p. 39; HI, www.handicap-international.org.uk; see www.avsi.org.
[161] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 4 May 2006.
[162] MACC SL, “2005 Annual Report,” 6 January 2006, p. 6; email from Chris Clark, MACC SL, 15 March 2006; meeting of MRE committee, NDO, Beirut, 23 March 2006.
[163] Email from Habbouba Aoun, LMRC, 4 May 2006.
[164] Mohammed Zaatari, “Mine survivors challenge mine clearers to football match,” Daily Star (Nabatiyah), 27 September 2005.
[165] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1064; US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Lebanon,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[166] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Lebanon,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[167] NDO, “Long Term Plan 2005-2009,” p. 8.
[168] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Lebanon,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.