CISR News

On-the-ground, information management tools in northeast Syria

The Journal of CWD

CALL FOR PAPERS: Battle Area Clearance/Urban Clearance

How are organizations mitigating the challenges of battle area and urban environments to remove explosive remnants of war?

CALL FOR PAPERS: COVID-19 and Humanitarian Mine Action

How have humanitarian mine action organizations responded to the pandemic?

Operationalized Management Information Systems in Iraq's Directorate of Mine Action

The Journal of CWD

Mine action in the time of COVID-19: A donor's perspective

The Journal of CWD

In 2021, we have much to celebrate!

CISR is excited to announce our newest project in collaboration with the American University of Kurdistan and funding from the U.S. Department of State

Myanmar woman severely injured in landmine explosion in Myanmar’s Rakhine state

‘Local civilians lack awareness’

Time to stem lightweight approaches and focus on real minefield data?

The Journal of CWD

Landmine casualty rates in Nigeria now fifth highest in the world

Mines laid by Boko Haram and other groups leave millions at risk, particularly in Borno state where insurgency most acute

Landmine/UXO casualties in Cambodia down 16 percent last year

An estimated 4 to 6 million landmines and other munitions were left over from the almost three decades of conflicts

Firing range clearance in Bamyan, Afghanistan, well under way

By the end of October, the Organisation for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation had found and destroyed 684 items of unexploded ordnance/explosive remnants of war

We are eager to announce the launch of the Fall/Winter 2020 edition of The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As ever, we hope you enjoy reading this issue and stay safe this holiday season

Conventional weapons destruction assistance helps Angola protect the Okavango watershed and bolster regional stability

The U.S. supports demining of land in Angola's watershed to protect local communities, and promote conservation and ecotourism

Local villagers feel assured as contaminated land identified for full clearance

Quang Tri province aims to be safe from the impact of explosive ordnance by 2025

The importance of sharing information in achieving cross-sectorial objectives

Lessons learned among communities with shared goals have cross-sectoral value that benefits everyone

Nations laud landmine removal

As it has been for years, the U.S. is the largest global donor to landmine clearance, victim assistance and related efforts

Syria is among the world’s worst countries for the number of mines planted since 2011, despite prohibition of their use in international law

Mines have killed at least 2,601 civilians in Syria since 2011

Cambodia welcomes seven new deminer puppies

This year, the Cambodian Mine Action Centre has planned to clear more than 116 sq km of land from mines and explosive remnants of war

Launch of the Improvised Explosive Device Clearance Good Practice Guide

The event will explain the challenges faced by mine action programs in terms of safety and efficiency that led to the development of the document

Supporting local efforts to clear unexploded ordnance in Lao PDR

Increased U.S. funding for UXO clearance has provided many Lao women and men an opportunity to upgrade their clearance skills and take on more responsibility in the sector

Investing in Zimbabwe’s future

U.S. demining assistance protects people and wildlife while facilitating sustainable development

Disability and sexual violence in the COVID-19 era

While disability inequalities have long been observed, the global COVID-19 crisis has deepened and exposed the problem of exclusion, which renders work on disability inclusion urgent and imperative

December 3 marks the International Day of Persons With Disabilities

Human Rights Watch encourages others to take action and #breakthechains

Giving Tuesday: CISR Student Opportunity Fund

December 1

Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

November 16–20, 2020

Argentina criticizes Falklands' mines-free achievement, but is willing to share the humanitarian success

Argentine forces planted an estimated 20,000 antipersonnel mines and other explosives in strategic beaches and access areas

US: Biden should reinstate landmine ban

Global report details eradication progress, setbacks

A Vietnam veteran’s fight—for dignity and peace

War put a bullet in John Lancaster’s spine. He turned that into a life’s work of compassion.

23rd Anniversary Virtual Clearing the Path Gala

Tune in at 6:30 p.m. EST on November 18, 2020

The city of Sarajevo mine-impact free

However, work is not yet finished in the surrounding municipalities of Vogošća and East Stari Grad, which make up part of the greater metropolitan area

War’s deadly debris

Clearing explosives in Laos left by the Vietnam War

Falklands cleared of nearly all landmines, 38 years on from war

Tens of thousands mines and bombs removed as part of U.K.-funded program since 2009

Mk 82 bomb found exposed on the bank of Hien Luong River after flooding

Floodwaters eroded the bank and exposed a big bomb

Asia’s only virtual CBRNe, EOD and demining conference and trade show is free to attend

November 12–13

Local residents report discovery of explosive ordnance exposed after recent torrential rains

A 40mm grenade was found on the roadside by a woman who lives in Tri Tien village, Vietnam

WWII 'earthquake' bomb explodes in Poland during attempt to defuse it

The bomb was 6m (19ft) long

The United States announces $2.5 million in new funding for landmine clearance in Angola

The clearance is part of a project to protect the ecosystem that sustains the Okavango Delta

Targeting the roots of instability

U.S. assistance denies weapons to armed groups, helping stabilize eastern Congo

Mine Action Review virtual event and briefing

Register now!

World War II-Era Bomb Explodes

A 12,000-pound World War II-era bomb exploded in a shipping canal off the Polish port city of Swinoujscie on Tuesday, sending a plume of water high into the air as a team of navy divers were working to neutralize it remo

Facebook Live Event

We are excited to be a part of the JMU Center for Global Engagement's I-Week Global Vision Series, Global Citizenship: Advocacy at Home and Abroad: http://www.facebook.com/events/3538525439542531

Use of heavy explosive weapons in towns and cities in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must stop

INEW releases statement condemning the violence to civilians

Demining drones and 3D prosthetic projects win $2.3 million humanitarian prize

The prize money allows Humanity & Inclusion to establish a new fund to help fuel future advances

To what extent could the development of an airborne thermal imaging detection system contribute to enhance detection?

The Journal of CWD

Moving Forward in 2020: Humanitarian Assistance and Challenges Post-Pandemic

Join CISR through Facebook Live on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. EST!

The impact of the conflict in Afghanistan on civilian mental health

There is a significant lack throughout Afghanistan’s medical infrastructure in terms of psychological support

Project RENEW provides vocational training to the blind and other persons with disabilities

This kind of livelihood support has brought practical and significant results to the blind and other persons with disabilities in Quang Tri province

Automated UAS aeromagnetic surveys to detect MBRL unexploded ordnance

The Journal of CWD

U.S. Air Force is designing a laser weapon capable of clearing landmines and bombs from almost 1,000 ft. away

It will be able to detonate cluster bombs, landmines, and thick-cased artillery

The work of the Mine Detection Dog Center in Bosnia & Herzegovina

The bond and friendship established between the man and the dog, besides the high-quality training they both go through, is a guarantee of their success as a team until the dog is eight to nine years old

Anti-submarine devices found on beach near Weston-super-Mare

A U.K. beach walker discovered the torpedoes

Developing a sustainable national training capacity: Non-technical survey training in Colombia

The Journal of CWD

Three bombs removed and half a million gets access to water

The explosive hazard problem in Iraq is complex and extensive

Afghan army defused 4,776 improvised bombs, landmines in six months

A teenage girl was killed and 25 civilians were wounded in two IED explosions in two provinces over the weekend

Impact of community-based dissemination of the law on persons with disabilities in Vietnam

Persons with disabilities were provided an opportunity to take part in social activities, helping improve their spiritual lives

Two Norwegian People's Aid staff died in tragic accident in the Solomon Islands​

There has been an explosion with fatal consequences

Syrian Network for Human Rights becomes an official member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines–Cluster Munition Coalition

Cluster munitions use by the Government of Syria has been ongoing and more than 80 percent of global casualties since 2010 have occurred in the country

Hopes of a landmine-free Croatia in 2026 at risk, deminers claim

Twenty-five years after the war ended, Croatia has still not been fully cleared of landmines and unexploded ordnance—and deminers claim that the target of a mine-free country by 2026 could be jeopardized by government

Understanding the logic of rebel restraint on landmine use

The Journal of CWD

U.S. support for landmine clearance restores agriculture in Tajikistan

Using the mini-Mine Wolf to clear land and to find explosive hazards has proven to be a dramatically safer and more effective method to carry out demining along Tajikistan’s heavily mined border with Afghanistan

Huge blast rocks Jordan military arms depot

The blast in the city of Zarqa sparked a large fire, but there were no reports of casualties

Seventh Mine Action Technology Workshop: A space for innovation

The Journal of CWD

Safelane Global donation changes the lives of two Vietnamese families injured by explosive ordnance

Triple amputee now lives with new hope and confidence thanks to recent improvements to his home made possible by a donation

16-year-old Angolan landmine activist and victim educates her community on the risks of unexploded ordnance

After losing her right arm and eyesight in a landmine accident, Deolinda “Minga” Tchihnga teaches others to recognize, avoid and report threats of explosives

Landmine blast kills four Yemeni civilians

The area had been heavily planted by landmines of the Houthi rebel group

Alert farmer reports cluster bomb while dredging water trench

It was identified as a BLU-26 which is extremely unstable and dangerous

Saudi project saves Yemenis from Houthi landmines

The project has 32 demining teams

Angola: Cacolo/Alto Chicapa road cleared of landmines

Among the devices removed were two RPG-7 projectiles, an 82 MM mortar, more than 500 ammunitions of various calibres and explosive devices

Forager killed by landmine on Thai-Cambodian border

Millions of landmines were laid along the border of Thailand and Cambodia during the tumult of the Cold War

Landmine kills 13 in southern Afghanistan

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the landmine blast

The lethality index: Re-conceptualizing IED clearance planning and delivery in Iraq

The Journal of CWD

UN convoy hit by explosion in northern Iraq

The convoy was being operated by the World Food Program

Girl killed by a blast of a landmine of unknown origin in Tal al Hawa village in Aleppo on Aug. 18

Syrian Network for Human Rights calls on the governing forces in each area to bear responsibility for protecting civilians

Sri Lanka set to be landmine-free by 2025 thanks to new Australian aid injection

The new commitment will go to MAG International

Land mine blast kills four civilians while on hunting trip

Land mines laid out in the southern parts of Tripoli and the surrounding areas continue to claim innocent civilians' lives

One hundred days later, Esper still must explain landmine policy reversal

Defense secretary needs to explain why the Trump administration reversed its policy on landmines

Novel technique enables better landmine identification without digging

In conflict regions, landmines pose a major threat, but modern detection systems find it hard to differentiate between clutter and explosives

A new approach to understanding, achieving, and demonstrating IMAS compliance

The Journal of CWD

Cluster munitions: Treacherous weapons that still kill 10 years after a convention to ban them

The Convention on Cluster Munitions came into force on 1 August 2010

Military collects eight landmines swept away by heavy rains near border

During the 1950–53 Korean War, millions of mines were believed to have been laid on the Korean Peninsula, and many are still buried in the DMZ

Preventing tragedy in Laos

The village, the bombs and the demolition

Zimbabwe Defence Forces makes progress in clearing land mines

The Zimbabwe National Army is working with The HALO Trust, MAG and NPA

Detonating the media: Raising the profile of mine action

The Journal of CWD

Military clears landmines for returning Kachin villagers

"We found 10 landmines, three IEDs and four hand grenades"

Civil Police officer killed by a blast of a landmine of unknown origin in Aleppo suburbs on Aug. 8

Syrian Network for Human Rights is still trying to contact witnesses to obtain more details of the incident

The lessons of Beirut

Around the world, stockpiles of ammunition are—quite literally—ticking bombs

Yazidi women risk their lives to clear landmines in areas once held by 'Islamic State'

A new documentary explores the work they're undertaking to demine their homeland.

Measuring behavior change resulting from EORE and the need for complementary risk reduction activities

The Journal of CWD

Disposal of explosive ordnance and environmental risk mitigation

The Journal of CWD

Maoist landmine kills two tribals in forest area of Visakhapatnam

Police said there was specific information that the landmine was planted by the Maoists targeting the security forces combing in the area for the last few days

U.N. calls for action on landmine deaths among displaced in Sahel, Lake Chad regions

The UNHCR is calling on governments and humanitarian organizations to speed up the removal of these dangerous weapons

U.S. demining assistance fosters security and economic development in wake of Lebanese military defeat of Islamic extremists in Arsal

Local residents can now safely return home, farm their land and live in peace

Myanmar: End unlawful Internet restrictions

Armed group’s landmine use doesn’t justify ban in Rakhine and Chin states, says Human Rights Watch

Removal of heavy naval shell from a Vietnam home for safe disposal

The community still needs to be reminded of explosive ordnance safety messages

Confidence-building through mine action on the Korean Peninsula

The Journal of CWD

Sibling children killed in blast of landmine of unknown origin in Wadi Sayel area in Raqqa

SNHR is still trying to contact witnesses to obtain more details of the incident

CALL FOR PAPERS: Digital diplomacy

How are organizations ensuring the experiences of various professions, races, genders, ages and disabilities are represented accurately?

Landmine planted by Wagner mercenaries wounds child, another civilian in Libya’s Tripoli

The military said the blast occurred in the Qasr bin Ghashir area

CALL FOR PAPERS: Humanitarian opportunities and the new normal

As the disparities between countries—particularly those suffering from explosive hazards—to address COVID19 become more apparent, the humanitarian development community has a unique opportunity to leverage its principles

Whither HMA policy: Linking HMA and development assistance

The Journal of CWD

U.S. says Russian mercenaries laid land mines in Libya

Booby traps and explosives planted around the Libyan capital harmed civilians and breached an arms embargo, US Africa Command says

Looking back at the 2019 Global Senior Managers' Course in Conventional Weapons Destruction at JMU

An executive summary

New to Myanmar’s Rakhine conflict, landmines claim rising toll

Nongovernmental organizations and other humanitarian aid groups say that officials should take measures to prevent any further loss of lives from mine explosions in the region

Landmines in Yemen pose big dangers to civilians' lives

The UN relief agencies said Yemen is suffering from the worst humanitarian crisis in the world

CALL FOR PAPERS: Environmental concerns of explosives

How does explosive contamination affect the environment?

Syria: Landmines in al-Bab city pose risk to civilians

Civilians are seeking an all-out operation to clear the area from landmines, explosives planted by the terror group

Haftar landmines kill, injure 138 in Tripoli: UN

Two humanitarian mine clearance workers were killed south of Tripoli on Monday

CALL FOR PAPERS: Humanitarian mine action and COVID-19

How have HMA organizations responded to the pandemic, and in what ways have they adapted their operations both in and out of the field?

The latest Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction is available online now

From demining on the Korean peninsula to new ways of assessing clearance costs

Data61 developing autonomous bot to clear landmines

Taking over dirty and dangerous work

Emergency services called to Minnis Bay after suspected ‘bomb’ uncovered

The suspected mortar shell was uncovered by a detectorist

CALL FOR PAPERS: Demining in dense terrain

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction seeks submissions from organizations operating in these areas

Landmine planted by Daesh injures 2 children in Northern Syria

Children injured from landmine explosion in Syria’s northern city of Al-Bab

A community’s struggle to protect itself from land mines in the Colombian Amazon

The effort to demine sacred space in the Amazon

Army blasts New People's Army following seizure of landmine depot

Twenty-three landmines were recovered

Cambodian man found using live landmines from Civil War-era as garden decoration

The man was 'scolded' after nearly 30 unexploded munitions were found hanging from a tamarind tree and scattered around his yard in a Cambodian town

Twenty-six killed, over 100 injured by land mines in Myanmar since January, says report

In rural areas of northern Rakhine, landmines pose a threat to the livelihoods of residents who search for food in the forest and make a living selling forest products like bamboo

Libya: Khalifa Haftar’s militias use of landmines is 'unconscionable'

A team of Turkish deminers arrived in Tripoli last week, under a broader military cooperation agreement signed late last year between Tripoli and Ankara

RENEW/NPA starts to clean up contaminated land in the northern side of the former DMZ

A total of 19 unexploded mortar rounds, projectiles, and fuzes were found and unearthed from under a dirt road that runs through the clearance site

Mortar found on the beach near Halesworth in Suffolk

An EOD team was called to assess the device

Yemen and explosive weapons

A death sentence for civilians

Keeping Iraqis safe from deadly ISIS bombs through innovative digital risk education campaign

An analysis of how risk education was being delivered in Iraq revealed social media was one of the few spaces not leveraged to its full potential

New People's Army using landmines to sow terror in Surigao Norte: Philippine Army

The NPA rebels were telling residents that landmines planted in their area will be detonated once they refuse to give in to their demands

Saudi mine program removes hundreds of deadly Houthi devices in first week of June

Mines kill and injure hundreds of children and adults in Yemen every year

Lawmakers press Esper on landmine policy

The letter asks U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper a list of 27 questions

CALL FOR PAPERS: Humanitarian mine action and conventional weapons destruction in the context of IDPs and migration

How can HMA/CWD programs better adapt to the return of IDPs?

Landmines kill 12 Afghans in two incidents

The victims were residents of a local village

CALL FOR PAPERS: Balkans

In addition to the Bosnian and Yugoslav Wars as well as the Croatian and Slovenian Wars for Independence, the Balkan peninsula experienced some of the earliest humanitarian demining efforts in mine action

Libya: Landmines left after armed group withdraws

Victim-activated explosive devices endanger human lives

Protect civilians from explosive weapons

Strong political declaration will save lives

Fight off Corona, keep away from UXO

New message of Project RENEW’s mine risk education in the post-COVID-19

Prince Harry praises landmine charity made famous by his mother Princess Diana for its work amid pandemic

"The fact that you can operate across conflict-affected countries like Afghanistan is also a precious resource in the face of a disease that recognizes no frontlines"

Landmines and explosive remnants of war continue to claim lives and limbs in Syria’s Daraa

Children are the greatest victims

CALL FOR PAPERS: Empowering local capacity in mine action

What lessons learned can the community share in regards to building national capacity and employing locals to continue operations after projects have concluded?

Project RENEW holds workshop to implement dissemination of the law on persons with disabilities to communities and support activities in the post-COVID-19

The Orthopedic Workshop in Quang Tri General Hospital was reactivated for bringing rehab services closers to disabled persons

Syrian youth killed by the explosion of a landmine

The landmine's origin is so far unknown