The EU has provided €3 million in new funding to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan to support the clearance of explosive ordnance in conflict-affected areas.
The funding, channelled through the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), will support an 18-month project called “Rebuilding Sudan: Mine Action for Recovery,” the European External Action Service (EEAS) informed on Monday.
Work will focus on accessible urban and peri-urban areas receiving large numbers of returnees, including the capital, Khartoum.
Explosive ordnance contamination has expanded across residential neighbourhoods, public infrastructure and key supply routes since renewed conflict broke out in April 2023, posing risks to civilians and aid workers.
“Explosive ordnance remains a deadly threat for families seeking to return home in Sudan,” UNMAS Director Kazumi Ogawa said.
Clearance, safety education and support for local capacity
UNMAS will carry out surveys and clearance in residential areas, key roads, markets and critical infrastructure such as schools, health facilities and public service buildings, the EEAS said.
The project will also deliver explosive ordnance risk education — safety information intended to help people avoid dangerous items and areas — to at-risk communities.
Training, coordination and technical support will be provided to strengthen local and national capacity for mine action and related work.
Around 700,000 conflict-affected civilians are expected to benefit directly from improved safety and access, with more than one million people reached indirectly through safer movement, humanitarian operations and the resumption of essential services.
“Mine action saves lives and is a cornerstone for recovery amid a conflict that, for more than three years, has claimed thousands of lives and caused immense hardship for the Sudanese people,” said Peter M. Wagner, Head of FPI.
