Mine Action to Assist Displaced Persons in Sri Lanka - Mines Advisory Group 2012

With CIDA support the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is supporting the safe return of internally displaced people to their home areas in Puthukkudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat Mullaitivu District Sri Lanka. Project activities include: surveying potentially mined areas; using machine and manual clearance teams to clear and safely dispose of land mines and other unexploded ordnance; and working with affected communities to establish longer-term risk reduction strategies to mitigate the risk of injury and death from land mines especially on the part of children.

Expected outputs include: 373 600 square meters of priority land are surveyed for the potential presence of land mines; 184 000 square metres of priority land are manually cleared of landmines and other unexploded ordnance; approximately 11 500 internally displaced people return to their home areas; and an increased awareness of mine risk reduction strategies on the part of people living in this region. The expected intermediate outcome is the reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.