UN Coordinator: ‘Ongoing conflict has led to a sharp increase in explosive ordnance contamination across Sudan’

“Ongoing conflict has led to a sharp increase in explosive ordnance contamination across both urban and rural areas. Homes, roads, schools and critical infrastructure are affected, placing civilians at daily risk and constraining humanitarian access. Aid workers themselves face heightened danger as they work to reach those most in need.”

In a statement to mark the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on Saturday, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, has joined the global community in reaffirming this year’s theme: “Invest in peace: invest in mine action.” Mine action is not only about removing deadly hazards — it is about protecting lives, enabling recovery, and laying the foundations for peace, she says.

“In Sudan, the urgency is stark. Ongoing conflict has led to a sharp increase in explosive ordnance contamination across both urban and rural areas. Homes, roads, schools and critical infrastructure are affected, placing civilians at daily risk and constraining humanitarian access. Aid workers themselves face heightened danger as they work to reach those most in need.

“Mine action is therefore a humanitarian imperative. It enables safe access, supports returns, and is a prerequisite for recovery and reconstruction. While efforts are expanding, the scale of contamination continues to outpace the response,” Brown says.

“Sustained support and stronger collaboration are urgently needed. By investing in mine action, we can save lives today and help lay the groundwork for Sudan’s recovery and peace.”

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, displaced families returning to their homes often encounter landmines and unexploded shells litter streets, homes, and even places of worship.

*International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action:

On 8 December 2005, the United Nations General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

It called for continued efforts by States, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the civilian population, or an impediment to social and economic development at the national and local levels.

For over 20 years, the work of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has been driven by the needs of affected people and tailored to the threat of explosive hazards faced by civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarians.

UNMAS works to save lives, to facilitate deployment of UN missions and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, to protect civilians, to support the voluntary return of the internally displaced and refugees, to enable humanitarian and recovery activities and to advocate for international humanitarian and human rights law. – (Source: UN)