SUMMARY OF JANUARY 2009'S ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS:

The programme continued to reduce the threat of unexploded ordnance (UXO) to vulnerable communities in Vietnam by implementing humanitarian mine action in Quang Binh and Quang Tri Provinces.

- Nine Mine Action Teams (MATs), supported by four Community Liaison (CL) teams.

- Teams visited 1,460 houses, searching 2,756 square metres of land; performing 354 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) tasks; and removing a total of 427 items of UXO.

- Community Liaison teams conducted seven community/partner meetings; visiting 85 villages, conducting 502 house to house surveys; documenting 50 mine/UXO reports; generating 40 post-clearance impact reports.

- During January the teams also cleared 50,844 sq/m of land, removing and destroying a total of 18 items of UXO.

- These activities benefited 9,004 people, mainly in remote, marginalised communities.

SUMMARY OF IMPACT:

- Creating a more secure environment for the Vietnamese people by reducing risk to life and limb.

- Building national capacity.

- Building safer communities and working to improve the futures of people affected by the explosive remnants of conflict.

- Creating poverty alleviation opportunities by freeing up land that can be used for sustainable livelihood generation and infrastructure projects.

To download the full report please go to www.maginternational.org/vietnam

MAG would like to express its gratitude and many thanks to the following current donors to the Vietnam programme: DFID; Imperial Tobacco; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; Schonstedt/UN.