The European Commission, through its Foreign Policy Instruments Service (FPI), has provided new funding to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan to support demining activities aimed at improving civilian security, access for NGOs and humanitarian aid, and swift recovery in conflict-affected areas.
This amounts to a contribution of 3 million euros to support the implementation of an 18-month project titled “Rebuilding Sudan: Mine Action for Recovery,” as indicated in a statement published on Monday on the website of the European Union Delegation to Sudan.
Various stakeholders expect this project to address the widespread contamination by explosive ordnance in accessible urban and peri-urban areas hosting a large number of people returning home, particularly in the capital Khartoum.
Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has led to massive contamination by unexploded ordnance (mines, rockets) in residential areas and infrastructure, especially in Khartoum. This direct threat to civilians hinders the return of over 4 million displaced persons, making demining crucial for security, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction in 2026.
Kazumi Ogawa, Director of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), acknowledges that “explosive ordnance still poses a deadly threat to families seeking to return home in Sudan.” With EU support, UNMAS will demine priority areas and help create the necessary conditions for safe returns and recovery.
Improving security and access will benefit nearly 1.7 million people, with 700,000 civilians directly and over a million indirectly benefiting from the resumption of humanitarian aid and essential services (health, education, water, food).
The statement emphasizes that this action complements the humanitarian aid currently provided by the EU to Sudan, prioritizing more systematic and targeted demining to facilitate rapid recovery and reconstruction.
UNMAS pledges to implement the project in close coordination with national authorities, humanitarian and recovery partners, and the entire mine action community.
