SUMMARY OF JUNE 2008'S ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS

The programme continued to reduce risk to vulnerable communities and support conflict recovery and rehabilitation by implementing humanitarian mine action (HMA) and small arms and light weapons (SALW) projects in Dahok, Diyala, Erbil, Kirkuk, Ninewah, and Sulimaniyah governorates.

- MAG teams searched and cleared 1,843,031 square metres of land using hand, electronic, and visual techniques safely removing and destroying 12,481 hazardous items. Teams demarcated an additional 199,479 sq/m of land.

- Mine Risk Education (MRE) teams delivered 66 MRE sessions reaching 720 individuals in 42 villages across the northern governorates.

- Community Liaison (CL) teams identified 116 dangerous areas. They conducted community assessments in 5 villages, interviewing 2,074 people.

- 8 SALW emergency teams deployed to 234 tasks during June, destroying 4,555 items of SALW.

- Mechanical assets were used to clear 9,249 sq/m of land and processed 8,463 cubic metres of soil.

OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

- MAG launched its partnership with Marshall Legacy Institute to build a Mine Detection Dog capacity in northern Iraq. MLI teams will support programme operations.

- MAG entered into another year of partnership with the Iraqi Health and Social Care Organization IHSCO to support the delivery of MRE, collection of victim casualty data and victim assistance in central and southern Iraq.

DEMINING & CLEARANCE OPERATIONS

- Diyana sector: MATs searched and cleared 26,260 sq/m of contaminated land destroying a total of 152 hazardous items. They demarcated 171,479 sq/m of land and completed clearance on one contaminated areas. MAG's teams in Diyana continued work on 4 ongoing tasks and started clearance on one prioritised clearance task in support of socio-economic rehabilitation.

- Dahok sector: MATs searched and cleared 1,484,408 sq/m of contaminated land, removing and destroying 108 hazardous items to support of socio-economic rehabilitation. Teams completed 2 tasks and started working on 2 new clearance operations. Operations continued on 5 prioritized tasks, in support of IDP resettlement, conflict recovery, and infrastructure development.

- Chamchamal sector: MATs searched and cleared 32,826 sq/m of contaminated land. Teams removed and destroyed 130 hazardous items. Teams continued working on 4 ongoing clearance tasks.

- Sulimaniyah sector: MATs searched and cleared 299,537 sq/m of contaminated land. 28,000 sq/m was demarcated in the month of June. Teams removed and destroyed 12,091 hazardous items. MATs continued working on 5 tasks and started clearance on 3 clearance operations in support of agricultural development and IDP resettlement.

- Mechanical assets: Teams deployed across northern Iraq to support MATs and improve the efficiency of operations. Assets were used to clear 9,429 sq/m of land and excavate 4,993 cubic metres and sift 3,470 cubic metres of contaminated soil. 11,834 hazardous items were found by mechanical assets, and destroyed by MATs.

SMALL ARMS LIGHT WEAPONS (SALW) EMERGENCY RESPONSE

- Through funding provided by the US State Department, MAG trained 2 new SALW teams and one new SALW Community Liaison team to deploy from the Chamchamal operations base to respond to the SALW threat in the region.

- 4 dedicated CL teams deployed from Dahok, Diyana, Sulimaniyah and Chamchamal sectors to identify and prioritize instances of SALW contamination for removal and destruction.

- 8 SALW emergency teams deployed to 234 tasks supporting regional security and conflict recovery during the month of June.

- Teams destroyed 4,555 items of SALW in June, with over 51,000 items now destroyed as part of the SALW project.

- Teams in Erbil governorate removed a stockpile of weapons that presented a direct threat to children who played in an adjacent football field.

COMMUNITY LIAISON (CL)

- Teams identified 116 dangerous areas in 63 villages that pose a threat to resident communities and block socio-economic development.

- MAG CL teams conducted community assessments in 5 villages. 2,074 people were interviewed in visits to 23 households in Ninewah, Erbil and Sulimaniyah governorates. MAG's community assessment process to enables better prioritisation and impact assessment.

MINE RISK EDUCATION (MRE)

- MRE teams delivered 66 MRE sessions in 42 villages reaching 720 vulnerable individuals in Erbil, Sulimaniyah, Dahok and Mosul governorates.

- MAG Iraq entered into another year of partnership with the Ministry of Education. MAG CL teams started training teachers in Kirkuk, Erbil and Sulamaniyah in MRE delivery to build the sustainable capacity for MRE across the region.

- Teams worked in Erbil governorate to provide MRE to shepherds, whose activities put them at high risk of injury.

- Teams visited religious leaders to support community based delivery of MRE.

DONORS

MAG would like to express gratitude to the following donors to the Iraq programme: Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; Belgian Government; Irish Aid; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Netherlands; SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency).

For more information on MAG's work in Iraq, please visit www.maginternational.org/iraq.