The breakup of Yugoslavia triggered the most devastating European conflict since World War II. By December 1995, as peace was finally restored, the toll was staggering: an estimated 100,000 casualties, around 2.1 million displaced, and vast areas contaminated by landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERWs).
Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to grapple with the enduring impact of landmines and ERWs resulting from the early 1990s conflict. Throughout the extensive post-conflict recovery period, this contamination has hindered the secure repatriation of displaced individuals and the reconstruction of the country's devastated infrastructure.
From 1996 to 2023, 1,781 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina fell victim to landmines and other ERWs, resulting in 624 fatalities. Notably, 251 victims, constituting 14%, were children.
As we approach nearly three decades since the end of conflict, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre underscores the persistent challenge of land contamination, estimating approximately 869 km² of suspected and confirmed hazardous area remaining to be addressed. Even in the aftermath of conflict, the repercussions of explosive ordnance persist for years, with landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW), causing ongoing death and injury in various parts of the country.
Norwegian People's Aid in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Since 1996, NPA has actively engaged in collaborative efforts with the national authority, emphasizing the identification and clearance of landmines and ERWs in strategic regions to optimize socio-economic benefits. Originally established to address urgent humanitarian needs stemming from a three-year conflict, NPA BiH has evolved its mission over the years, transitioning towards a more development-oriented mandate.
NPA has played a crucial role in assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina in meeting its commitments under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) Article 5 and the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) Article 4, successfully achieving the latter milestone by 1st September 2023.
To address the significant challenge of widespread contamination in BiH, NPA places considerable emphasis on Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) as an integral part of its Land Release efforts.
Children are particularly vulnerable to explosive hazards, drawn to the intriguing appearance of these remnants without an awareness of their danger. This underscores the critical nature of NPA's efforts to deliver risk education in schools located in areas contraminated by mines and ERW.
By raising awareness in this way, NPA aims to strengthen the school curriculum to include mine and ERW safety messages, build local resilience and ensure school children learn about the dangers posed by these deadly ordnance.
Ongoing Projects:
- Land Release Operations: Dedicated efforts are underway, with a primary focus on the Brcko, Majevica, and Srebrenica Regions, to eliminate the threat posed by landmines and other ERWs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, incorporating Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE).
- Quality Management System Enhancement: Collaborative work to improve the Quality Management System of National Mine Action Authorities and Centres in Western Balkan Countries, encompassing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia.
- IMSMA Core Implementation: Supporting the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre (BHMAC) in implementing IMSMA Core, an advanced information management system specifically tailored for mine action.
- Capacity Strengthening: Empowering the mine action capabilities of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina Demining Battalion.
- Weapons Marking and Registration: Implementing a Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Marking and Registration project in collaboration with the Brcko District Police Department, including service weapons and weapons held in evidence.
- Risk Assessment: Collaborating with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) to establish a robust system for assessing the risk associated with ammunition storage in populated areas. Simultaneously, advocating for the storage of relevant information in the disaster response platform for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Released a total of 111,336,987 square meters of previously contaminated land, ensuring its safety and facilitating productive use.
• Identified and safely disposed of 12,537 landmines, 3,106 cluster munitions remnants, and 53,909 unexploded ordnances.
• Improved the lives of 553,216 individuals by enabling the safe utilization of land, including 195,060 women, 212,005 men, 50,858 girls, and 95,293 boys.
• 5,293,924 m2 of land suspected and actually contaminated by mines/explosive remnants of war released and returned to the communities for safe and productive use
• 313,239 m2 of land contaminated by cluster munition remnants released and returned to the communities for safe and productive use
• 275 anti-personnel mines, 13 anti-tank mines, 147 unexploded ordnances, and 107 cluster munition remnants found and destroyed
• 5,414 direct beneficiaries of explosive ordnance risk education (1,445 women, 1,589 men, 1,157 girls, and 1,223 boys), including 287 persons with disabilities, and 29,716 indirect beneficiaries of explosive ordnance risk education (12,287 women, 12,319 men, 2,523 girls, and 2,587 boys).
• 757 direct beneficiaries of the released land (242 women, 334 men, 76 girls, and 105 boys, including 51 persons with disabilities) and 6,493 indirect beneficiaries of the released land (2,527 women, 2,627 men, 725 girls, and 614 boys).
