Summary
Since 1975, an estimated 150 million square metres of land have been affected by mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). By the end of 2007, nearly 85 million square metres had been returned to the Lebanese people as a result of demining operations by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and a national technical survey and coordination of clearance operations by the Mine Action Coordination Centre, South Lebanon (MACC-SL) for the Operation Emirates Solidarity (OES) project and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As of 31 August 2009, an estimated 95 percent of contaminated land remained to be cleared.
As a result of Lebanon's 2006 conflict, an estimated 49 million square metres of southern Lebanon have been contaminated by hundreds of thousands of cluster munitions. Estimates as of August 2009 forecast that 45 percent of the land contaminated by cluster munitions in 2006 remained to be cleared in 2009. Socioeconomic development continues to be negatively affected by mines, UXO and cluster munitions. Casualty figures increased dramatically immediately after the 2006 conflict. Despite a significant reduction of new victims since then, due to a combination of clearance and mine risk education activities, recently affected areas are still in need of mine risk education.
The Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC) implements mine action consistent with national and international policies, participation in the Lebanon International Support Group (ISG) and the establishment of national committees that coordinate mine risk education and mine victim assistance. The ISG is chaired by the Minister of National Defence with secretariat functions provided by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Recent efforts to enhance LMAC's capacity to fully manage mine action include a US-sponsored technical survey, technical and mechanical adjuncts for demining, and continued management and technical training.
Each year, UN entities, nongovernmental organizations, national and local authorities and donors collaborate to assemble a national portfolio of mine action project proposals that together reflect the strategic response developed in the field to all aspects of the problem of landmines and explosive remnants of war. A Country Portfolio Coordinator, usually a representative of a UN agency or a national authority, coordinates meetings where all mine action actors agree on a set of projects and priorities and determine funding needs. The proposals in each country's portfolio are assembled with those of other participating countries and published jointly by the UN Mine Action Service, the UN Development Programme and UNICEF in an annual "Portfolio of Mine Action Projects." This publication serves as a tool for collaborative resource mobilization, coordination and planning of mine action activities. The Lebanon Country Portfolio Team's funding appeal for mine action projects in 2007 totals US $12,803,514.
Scope of the Problem
Mine action in Lebanon became internationally recognized after Israel withdrew its forces in May 2000. Wars and occupation during the past 25 years have left hundreds of thousands of mines and a vast number of cluster munitions throughout the country. The 2003 Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) indicated that mines and UXO affect more than 30 percent of the population. Mines impede socioeconomic development, and threaten life and limb. In the south, they hinder execution of a major drinking and irrigation water pipeline project, and contaminate agricultural land.
Today, cluster munition contamination has escalated the problem. The livelihoods of 500,000 people are at risk, while the number of cluster munitions victims is significantly higher than at similar times in previous years. Ten percent of accidents have been fatal; they predominantly strike males between 19 and 59 years of age, followed by those from 13 to 18 years of age.
The LMAC and UN component of MACC-SL has estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of unexploded cluster munitions, covering an area exceeding 48 million square metres, due to Israeli bombardments in 2006. The extent of the contamination will remain elusive until cluster munitions strike data are provided by Israel. After the conflict, all available assets were tasked to support clearance. Approximately 75 percent of the threats in southern Lebanon were mitigated by the end of 2008. With sufficient resources, the final 12.5 million square metres will be cleared in 2009.
Through the OES II project, supported by the United Arab Emirates, the remaining mines in southern Lebanon (excluding those adjacent to the Blue Line) will be removed by the end of 2008. Through the National Plan for Completion, Lebanon has the technical survey and coordination capabilities to clear all high- and medium-impact communities in five years, assuming sufficient donor resources.
Clearance activities in southern Lebanon and UNDP’s socioeconomic development projects to rehabilitate mine-affected areas continue to require funding. Victim assistance has achieved some success, but suffers from a chronic lack of funds.
Coordination and Consultation
The Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) acts as the government coordinating agency for development projects. The Minister of National Defence is responsible for mine action, and LMAC, as part of the LAF, implements the End-State Strategy for Mine Action in Lebanon (ESS). It coordinates and manages all mine action activities, making the continued development of national mine action management capacities critical to success. A UNDP chief technical advisor and national mine action programme officer are co-located at LMAC, and help facilitate all aspects of management.
On 1 January 2009, LMAC, through the Regional Mine Action Center in Nabatieh (RMAC-N), took full responsibility for the management of all humanitarian clearance in Lebanon. MACC-SL reverted to its role as a coordination centre and relocated to UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters.
Other mine action partners include the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC). UNIFIL conducts operational demining and is supported by the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC). Coordination with Lebanese government ministries and NGOs is facilitated through steering committees for victim assistance and mine risk education, established within LMAC. A new and approved National Mine Action Policy provides for an inter-ministerial committee to establish guidance and priorities for government strategic plans affecting mine action priorities. A consultative approach to selecting local mine clearance priorities will help ensure that local governance advice is incorporated into national programmes.
Strategy
The ESS integrates the overall mine action development strategy for Lebanon, and provides 12 guidelines for associated long-term and annual plans. The ESS is based on the fact that Lebanon, as in all countries that have experienced war, will not be completely free of mines without concrete action. It seeks a post-mine action readiness to respond to challenges from explosive remnants of war (ERW). To implement the ESS, long- and medium-term plans are matched with annual integrated work plans.
As mandated by the new National Mine Action Policy, and with the support of UNDP and the US Government, LMAC will become more robust and operationally focused. An enhanced LMAC will have the operational and quality management departments necessary to oversee a full national mine action programme. The policy also states that Lebanon aspires to become a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons' Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II), and to the anti-personnel mine-ban treaty.
The identification of financial resources will play a part in the selection of multi-year options. Some mine action and ERW problems in Lebanon can be solved in a finite time and according to international standards if the existing donor base can be widened and current support levels maintained in key areas. This is especially true for the clearance of areas in southern Lebanon contaminated by cluster munitions, which pose a direct humanitarian and socioeconomic threat to local communities, and hinder basic early recovery and rehabilitation efforts. Without the necessary level of support, however, the solution to Lebanon’s mine and ERW problem will remain elusive, people will continue to suffer, and the significant and persistent interference with national development will be greatly prolonged. This is particularly a concern for major development projects, and in mine-sensitive but potentially lucrative sectors such as tourism.
Mine action builds confidence and promotes stability. In southern Lebanon, it is hoped that the contamination from the 2006 conflict will be mitigated over the next few years. Subsequently, clearance assets will return to areas in Lebanon from which they had been diverted after the 2006 conflict. This will continue the release of valuable land to communities.
Date Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Treaty signed: N/A
Date of Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Treaty ratification or accession: N/A
Consents to be bound by Protocol II of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A
Consents to be bound by Amended Protocol II of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A
Date signed Protocol V of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons: N/A