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About 150 people gathered on 16 April to commemorate the International Day for Mine Action Awareness at an event coordinated by the Libyan Mine Action Centre in partnership with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and international and national mine action organisers and operators.
Representatives from key Libyan institutions, such as the Ministries of Defence and Health, and the Chief of Staff Office of the Libyan Army, attended the event at Sports City in Tripoli. Ambassadors and delegates from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Ghana, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Kingdom also joined.
Hundreds of millions of square metres in Libya have been identified as hazardous areas, with more expected to be added, said Aeneas Chuma, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC), quoting LibMAC data, during the opening ceremony. In some areas, such as those buried under rubble, he warned, the risk to residents is especially high.
DSRSG Chuma emphasised the need for continued demining and risk education to ensure the safe mobility of communities, families, and children.
Brigadier General Munir Nseer, director of the Ministry of Defence’s Strategic Planning Department, announced progress in ongoing discussions about the Libyan Mine Action Strategy, led by LibMAC with the support of GICHD, to create a more effective, and sustainable response to explosive ordnance contamination.
Brigadier General Khalil El-Shibli, LibMAC director, called on the UN and the international community to continue supporting the lifesaving operations led by Libyans and their partners on the ground.
Chief of Mine Action at UNSMIL, Fatma Zourrig, in her remarks, agreed on the importance of a strategic framework, legislation, and strengthened cooperation between humanitarian organizations and security institutions to advance mine action in Libya. She also noted with concern that in early 2025, a child lost his life due to explosive remnants, highlighting the urgency of mine action as Libya moves forward with reconstruction.
Following the opening ceremony, attendees browsed an exhibition put on by 11 national and international organisations and operators, which featured open presentations, live demonstrations, and simulations of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) spot checks, risk education sessions, rubble clearance operations, and displays of Libyan-manufactured armoured vehicles.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).