Mine Action in the Time of COVID-19: A Donor's Perspective
A Donor's Perspective
CISR JournalSUMMARY: How the COVID-19 pandemic forced donors and implementing partners to rethink their strategies during the pandemic.
By Wolfgang Bindseil and Ian Mansfield [ Mine Action Support Group ]
Since the beginning of humanitarian mine action (HMA) in the late 1980s, the sector has relied heavily on donor support. The funding is provided through various channels and covers the full range of HMA activities, including risk education, survey and clearance, stockpile destruction, victim assistance, advocacy, capacity building, and coordination. Over the years, donors have also influenced the HMA sector in more ways than by just providing money. For example, MASG members have called for the development of common sector-wide standards (e.g., International Mine Action Standards), hosted technical workshops and training activities, and actively participated in international and national level meetings. Thus, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in late 2019, it not only impacted operators, international organizations, and national authorities, but also created new challenges for donors as well.