Inter-Agency Assessment Mission Report, Jordan

United Nations Mine Action Service

Joint Assessment Mission Report

JORDAN

15 March 1999

JORDAN ASSESSMENT MISSION REPORT

List of Acronyms

I. BACKGROUND

II. OBSERVATIONS

II.1 Current Environment

II.1.a. Political and security environment
II.1.b. Humanitarian/economic environment

II.2 The landmine/UXO threat

II.2.a. Origin of the problem
II.2.b. Current situation

II.3 The consequences of the presence of Mines/UXO

II.3.a. Mine/UXO accidents
II.3.b. Humanitarian and socio-economic impact

II.4 Capacities and current activities that deal with the problem

II.4.a. Detection and clearance
II.4.b. Mine awareness
II.4.b. Mine awareness
II.4.c. Victim assistance
II.4.d. Advocacy and international conventions

III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

III.1. Conclusions

III.1.a. General
III.1.b. Detection and clearance
III.1.c. Mine awareness
III.1.d. Victim assistance
III.1.e. Ban on landmines
III.1.f National Mine Action Structure

III.2. Recommendations

III.2.a. General
III.2.b. Detection and clearance
III.2.c. Mine awareness
III.2.d. Victim assistance
III.2.e. Ban on landmines
III.2.f. National Mine Action Structure

Annex A: Terms of reference
Annex B: Detailed work plan
Annex C: Country map

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JORDAN ASSESSMENT MISSION REPORT

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a country effected by mines principally along its borders with neighbouring countries. Military sources estimate that the total number of mines to be over 300,000 contaminating nearly 15,000 acres of land. Situated mainly in the Jordan Valley, the Wadi Araba and on the northern front (some of the country `s most valuable farmland) some of the mines were planted as far back as 1948. Landmine accidents have caused injuries to more than 400 people. The majority of mine victims are civilians, mainly farmers.

In December 1998, following a request submitted by the Hashemite Kingdom and in consultation with its UN partners, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), acting in its capacity as focal point for all mine-related activities within the UN system, offered to field a multidisciplinary inter-agency mission to assess the requirement for UN assistance.

The mission, which took place from 23 January to 30 January 1999, was led by Mrs. Mary Fowler, UNMAS deputy chief, policy. It included the following team members: Dr. Ghulam Popal, Programme Officer, WHO; Ms. Tehnaz Dastoor, Focal Point for Landmines, UNICEF; Mr. Leon Terblanche, Mine Action Specialist, UNDP; and Mr. Wolfgang Hirsch, Programme Officer in charge of Jordan, UNMAS.

The team met in Amman with HRH Prince Ra`ad, Government representatives, including the Minister of Health, and officials from the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces. The team also met with representatives from the German, Norwegian, Austrian, Japanese, United Kingdom, Canadian and United States diplomatic missions. In addition, it consulted with various UN agencies and national and international NGOs operating in Jordan, including inter alia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children`s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the East (UNWRA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Farah Center in the King Hussein Medical Centre Society, the Hashemite Charity for Soldiers, the Amman Center for Education and Rehabilitation of the Physically Handicapped. Additionally, there was a field trip to the Jordan River Valley where the team met with the director of the Royal Engineer Corps and to Jerash and Ajloun where it met with mine victims and their families.

The assessment team would like to acknowledge the outstanding support provided by the UN Resident Coordinator and his staff throughout both the planning and the execution of the mission and to express its gratitude for their assistance. Full co-operation and hospitality was also extended to the team by all authorities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In this regard, special thanks should go to Her Majesty Queen Noor and to HRH Prince Ra`ad, whose personal interest in the work and progress of the mission were greatly appreciated.

This report presents the main findings of the inter-agency mission as a result of its intensive consultations in the field, as well as it`s key conclusions and recommendations.

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A small state surrounded by powerful neighbours, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a benevolent autocracy balanced by a long established constitution. The Monarch is the Head of State who sets the country`s strategic direction and presides over foreign policy. The Monarch also appoints the Prime Minister who in turn selects the Cabinet. The late King Hussein was Jordan`s ultimate authority. This was attributed to the longevity of his rule, his ability to discipline tribal factions and the loyalty of a well-trained army. It was his intention that the same respect is given to his heir and son His Regal Highness Abdullah bin Hussein who acceded to the throne on 7 February 1999.

Although political parties are legally permitted and generally represent a diversity of interests their status and influence is less important to a politician than tribal or family background. Jordan`s long political tradition includes a number of radical Arab nationalist, leftist and Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, which dominates the Islamic Action
Front (IAF).

Jordan`s political system is bicameral and is governed by its 1952 constitution, which gives the 80 member elected lower House of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, the central legislative role. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are appointed by the King and manage the daily affairs of the government. Upon appointment, any new Prime Minister must win a vote of confidence for his programmes. The Chamber of Deputies has the power to remove the PM with the tacit approval of the King.

A 40 member Senate that is appointed by the King forms the largely deliberative upper body. Under the late King Hussein, Jordan`s system of government was characterised by a heavy concentration of executive power in the Monarchy. Even relatively minor matters were referred upwards to the Ministerial and the Cabinet level.

In early March, King Abdullah II announced the formation of a new government with the appointment of Abdul Raouf Rawabdeh as his Prime Minister and the approval of the 22-member cabinet. He promptly instructed Prime Minister Rawabdeh to consolidate Jordan`s ties with the Palestinians and the Israelis under the 1994 peace treaty signed by his late father.

Internally, the force of personality of the late King has enabled Jordan to maintain a relatively stable security environment. His vast diplomatic skills and substantial respect among the majority of his neighbours afforded King Hussein and Jordan a degree of flexibility in negotiating the complex tides and currents of mid-east relations. For the future,
much will depend on events concerning Palestine`s declaration as an independent state and the outcome of the Israeli parliamentary elections.

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According to military sources a total of 492 minefields were laid in Jordan since 1948 with almost 300,000 mines, covering 15,000 acres of land most dating from the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1967. Minefields in Jordan can be classified into two categories: Minefields laid by:

a. Jordan Armed Force (JAF) 110 AP minefields
83 AT minefields
161 mixed minefields

b. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 99 AP minefields
34 AT minefields
5 fragmentary minefields

The minefields laid by the JAF are located in the Jordan River Valley, and on the northern border. The 138 Israeli laid minefields are in the southwest region of the country within the Araba valley and contain 73,853 AP and AT mines.

The remainder of the minefields in the Jordan Valley are in the northwest region, mainly divided principally into two areas. One is toward the northern end of the valley, near Lake Tiberias, and the other is further south near the northern banks of the Dead Sea. The Jordanian military states that it knows both where the minefields are, as they possess the maps, and the types and numbers of mines laid.

Landmines and minefields were most frequently laid by experienced soldiers who kept proper records. Most of the minefields were carefully recorded in the British terminology. Therefore, information about mine-infested locations are well known and most of the existing minefields are marked and fenced. Some of the fields were laid at night, or under fire, and may consequently not have been accurately recorded.

Jordan has used mines only for the purpose of defending the borders of the Kingdom against external threats and never used scattered or unmarked minefields or fragmentation, chemical or booby-trapped mines. Since 1973 no new minefields were laid in Jordan. The ratio of mines by type would be approximately 2/3 anti-personnel mines and 1/3 anti-tank mines.

On 15 March 1993 the Government started to implement a national systematic demining programme aimed clearing all minefields in Jordan. Priorities have been established as follows: Jordan River Valley, Wadi Araba, and the northern border. To date the process of priority setting has not been expanded to specifically address humanitarian and developmental concerns.

The clearance of the minefields in the Jordan Valley is being conducted in three consecutive phases. It should be noted that Phase one was relatively straightforward, while Phase three includes the areas of greatest difficulty. Phase one started in March 1993 and was completed in March 1995. During that time, 30 minefields were cleared and more than 14,000 mines were removed which resulted in more than 600 acres of land becoming available for cultivation.

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Since the beginning of the demining program according to military sources the Royal Engineer Corps has cleared 157 minefields. Altogether more than 65,000 mines of all types were removed. Phase Two, which started on the 29 May 1995 and which will clear the area between the main road and the Jordan River Basin is still in process. Since the beginning, 127 minefields were cleared with some 51,000 mines removed. More than 3,400 acres of land became ready for cultivation. Phase Three will clear the Jordan River Basin and will follow Phase Two.

A number of factors and difficulties impact on the Jordanian clearance operation:

• high temperature, especially during summer,
  
• shrubs and bushes that cover minefields, particularly in the Jordan river area,
  
• environmental changes that have affected the mines (some fields are older than 30 years),
  
• water and floods which have moved mines from within the minefields,
  
• the shortage of safety gear and mechanical equipment.

As most of the mines were laid in 1967, the types date back at least 30 years. The most common mines found in the Jordan River valley are the U.S. M 14 (AP) and M 19 (AT), the British Mk 5 (AT) and the Italian designed "SACI (AT)".

To strengthen their mine clearance operations Jordan has received support from a number of different donors, exclusively to the Jordanian Armed Forces.

In September 1998 an NGO was established to assist in the eradication of landmines and UXO. Using the NGO would strengthen Jordan`s capacity in humanitarian mine clearance and speed up the mine clearance process in the country.

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Information on mine victims is limited and there is no systematic data
gathering mechanism in place for monitoring purposes. Most of the health centers and hospitals do not classify mine victims specifically, or they have done so only for the most recent years. However, it seems that the number of reported cases due to landmine accidents has been decreasing over the last few years.

According to the military sources, since 1967, there have been more than 450 victims, including injuries and deaths due to landmines. Based on the interviews conducted with the Jordanian Army Officers during the mission, it was noticed that most of the mine related incidents had occurred during the late 1960s and early 1970s, during the Israel-Palestinian conflict that escalated to Jordan. It was also noted that the incidents again rose during the early 1990s due to the heavy rains and floods and displacement of the landmine from their original and marked fields into unknown areas. The number of casualties, however, has been on the decline the past few years.

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Today, around 10% of the Jordanian population continue to live in areas infested by landmines. Since many of the landmine locations are in restricted military areas and a large majority of the population live in urban areas, civilian casualties have been low.

Based on a report made available to the mission by Dr. Abdel Fattah Al-Worikat, Senior Specialist, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, King Hussein Medical Center in Amman, a total of 315 mine amputees, 296 males and 19 females, have been referred and registered to the rehabilitation department of King Hussein Medical Center during the past ten years in order to provide them with rehabilitation services. The medium age of the amputees is 29 years. Of the referred cases, 89% were provided with prosthetic devices.

Injuries and disabilities due to landmines are limited in numbers compared to other causes of trauma, consequently no particular institution exists in the country to deal exclusively with the victims of landmines.

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The Royal Corps of Engineers (RCE) has developed a core of about 340 well-trained deminers in 18 demining teams of 19 persons each. They have demonstrated their ability to effectively address humanitarian needs for mine/UXO detection and clearance, using manual means and related equipment. This ability is somewhat restricted by the fact that the minefield layouts are known only from the records; the RCE indicated that they encounter problems in areas where mines have been washed out, are buried, or have moved as a result of landslides.

The current approach to mine clearance by the RCE results in relatively high clearance standards and positive outcomes. The standard operational procedures (SOP) are for the most part adequate for minefields of known location and layout, however, but fall short when unstructured situations have to be addressed. These situations require skills that are more commonly associated with humanitarian demining than with military mine clearance tasks. Skills such as minefield survey and area reduction would be required in addition to those currently held by the Sappers.

Jordan is not well equipped technically to deal with the mine problem. The detection and clearance equipment is limited and there is a definite shortage of proper safety equipment for deminers.

The RCE is augmented with mechanical means in the Jordan River valley. Mine detectors and flails (Aardvark Mk1) are utilized effectively. There are plans to upgrade the flails to Mk 3 status through bi-lateral donor support. They also plan to acquire a Mk 4. These improvements would further accelerate the clearance process.

Dogs could be useful and cost-effective for: (1) checking areas of uncertainty; (2) quality control of cleared areas and; (3) defining areas contaminated by washed out or shifted mines or buried under dirt. The use of dogs should be considered, starting with a demonstration and confidence building phase.

Mine clearance operations in the Wadi Araba region would benefit greatly from the use of mechanical clearance devices.

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Secondary sources of information indicates that mine awareness is being undertaken by the military in schools and universities, but no evidence has been gathered on the quality and coverage of this awareness education, nor of the materials used or the frequency of dissemination patterns. Informal sources of information suggest that at least 50% of mine-related accidents have occurred among the civilian population and about 60% of those injured are below 25 years of age.

A number of accidents have taken place within tourist and recreational areas. According to Ms. Alia Bouran, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism, there is an increasing emphasis on the development of the tourist industry (especially in the Mount Nebo, Bethany and Wadi Araba areas), and work is being undertaken around the discovery of new archaeological site. With no additional mine awareness education targeted specifically to these areas, it is expected that the mine risk to civilians will increase.

It should be noted:

• The ICRC, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Red Crescent Society undertakes a countrywide mine awareness programme in schools.
• A number of mine signs indicating the location of mine-fields and the presence of mines have been removed from their locations.
• All mine victims interviewed indicated that they were unaware of the dangers of landmines in their areas, and of the appropriate exit strategies if caught unexpectedly in a minefield.
• The U.N. Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) manages approximately 1,000 schools in the mine-infested Jordan Valley and areas close to the Syrian border. Additionally, they support the only rehabilitation centre in the Jordan Valley.
• HRH Prince Ra`ad stated that he is willing to "act as a catalyst" and assist with mine awareness education as long as it is justified to those that live in or around affected areas.
• Additionally, the Hashemite Society of Soldiers with Special Needs also indicated its willingness to work with the UN in developing special mine awareness strategies, disseminating this information through its network, and gathering data on military casualties of mine accidents.
• General al-Maita who has established the International Demining Establishment (IDE), the first Jordanian Demining NGO, has indicated a willingness to learn new mine awareness strategies and disseminate them prior to, during and following mine clearance activities.

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The Law for the Welfare of the Disabled

This law was adopted by the Jordanian parliament in April 1993 and highlights the needs and rights of a disabled person. The law stresses the empowerment of disabled persons and entitles the disabled to health care, education, vocational training and rehabilitation, employment, sports and recreation, and participation in decision-making. Other entitlements include caretaker support for poor families with disabled
members, free health insurance for the needy and their dependants, tax exemption on various equipment, quotas (2%) of disabled among the employees in both private and public sectors, and special facilities for disabled persons in all new public buildings.

National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons

The National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons is headed by the Ministry of Social Development and includes all concerned government ministries as it members. In addition, the council also includes several representatives from the NGO community, armed forces and representatives of the disabled. The overall aim of this council is to coordinate national efforts in the area of disability.

A network of civilian and military hospitals and health centers and rehabilitation units exists throughout the country. A sufficient number of primary health care centers, secondary health centers, maternal child health centers, comprehensive health centers, dental clinics, and referral hospitals, both civilian and military, are in place in Jordan. Among the principle hospitals and centers which provide services to the injured and
disabled including mine victims are:

Al-Bashir Hospital

Al-Bashir is the largest civilian hospital in Jordan with a capacity of more than 800 beds, which provide sophisticated services to the civilian population. The Al Bashir Rehabilitation Unit with its prosthetic center attached to the hospital is the main provider of rehabilitation services to the population. The Rehabilitation Unit provides physiotherapy, occupational therapy, prosthetic services to affected population. The Unit registers the landmine victims as part of the overall injury and disability category, and therefore, no real statistics exists on the exact number of landmine victims.

King Hussein Medical Center and the Farah Rehabilitation Center

The King Hussein Medical Center in Amman is the most sophisticated hospital in Jordan. Mainly, all military personnel and their dependants receive medical services in this hospital. The Farah Rehabilitation Center, which is attached to King Hussein Medical Center, is the most modern facility that provides rehabilitation and prosthetic care. Al-Bashir Hospital refers most of its complicated cases to the Farah Rehabilitation Center. A number of patients with no military insurance have also received treatment in the Farah Center.

A network of health facilities and programmes run by NGOs exists throughout the country. These include:

Hashimi Charity Society for Soldiers with Special Needs:

This NGO has initiated a number of projects, including specialized sports centers, distribution of donated equipment such as wheel chairs, etc to disabled people, and community-based rehabilitation programmes for southern governorates, which cover the health, education, and rehabilitation needs of the disabled population.

The Al-Hussein Society for the Habilitation/Rehabilitation of the Physically Challenged:

This Society runs one of the largest centers for the physically challenged in Jordan. It is a non-profit voluntary organization that seeks to provide educational, medical and rehabilitative services. Currently, a permanent staff of 85 runs the center in addition to a number of volunteers. Annually, hundreds of physically challenged children and young adults benefit from the services at the Center and from its outreach programme. The Center has four main specializations: education, medical rehabilitation, vocational training/shelter workshops and the out reach programme.

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Jordan has signed and ratified the Ottawa Convention and is in an excellent position to assume a leading role in the region to advocate for a ban on landmines and to assist the neighboring countries in dealing with their landmine problem.

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• Jordan is to be commended for the high level of commitment it has given to the landmines issue.
• Mine action efforts could be facilitated by improved inter-ministerial coordination between the major players. This could be achieved by giving responsibility for mine action, priority setting and planning, to an existing structure at the national level.
• The lead role that Jordan has played in the region in being one of the first countries to ratify the Ottawa Treaty has brought additional interest from the donor community for mine action support.
• Sufficient capacities already exist in Jordan to assist mine victims, but they need to be further strengthened.
• A national mine awareness programme is not required. However, specific programmes might be developed for mine-affected areas.
• Preliminary findings indicate that there is a lack of coordination and information dissemination between the various actors.

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• The number of casualties in the mine clearance operations could suggest that additional training might benefit the overall ability of the military to continue their objectives in line with the international standards for mine clearance. This could be achieved through an in-kind contribution of qualified instructors.
• It is noted that Jordan may not have sufficient resources to expand current capabilities especially mechanical and other expensive means such as dogs.

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• Secondary sources of information have shown that mine awareness is being undertaken by the military, but no evidence has been gathered on the quality and coverage of this awareness education, nor of the materials used or the frequency of these messages.
• The ICRC, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Red Crescent Society undertakes a countrywide mine awareness programme in schools.
• Sources indicate that at least 50% of mine related accidents have occurred among the civilian population and a number of those within tourist and recreational areas. With the increasing emphasis on the tourist industry and the discovery of new archaeological sites, it is expected that this risk will increase.
• There are no inter-ministerial level linkages on the issue of mine awareness although meetings with high-level officials within the relevant ministries (Ministry of Education, Health, Tourism, Agriculture, Defence) have indicated a need to establish this.
• There is an absence of a coherent strategy to develop mine awareness programmes and a lack of specific information on mine victims.
• The Jordan Sports Centre for the Handicapped, the Hashemite Society of Soldiers with Special Needs, UNRWA, the Ministries of Education, Tourism, Agriculture, Health and Defence, and UNICEF, provide valid entry points for undertaking mine awareness education.
• The demining community is willing to assist in coordinating efforts of ensuring that mine awareness education and clearance activities work in complementarity with each other.

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• Information on mine victims is limited and there is no systematic data gathering mechanism in place for its monitoring. However, it seems that the number of reported cases due to landmine accidents has been decreasing over the last few years.
• An extensive infrastructure exists for assisting mine victims but there is a need for capacity building training.
• The network of primary health care services of the Ministry of Health and the medical facilities of the Royal Jordanian Army are available countrywide.
• Medical facilities, even in remote areas are accessible to mine victims.
• There is a lack of information exchange between the various partners dealing in the health sector

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• At the Maputo Conference, Jordan will be required to report on fulfillment of its obligations under Article 7 of the Treaty. The minefield marking and records that already exist indicate that Jordan already meets most of the survey requirements. Jordan is, therefore, in a very strong position to meet the reporting requirements under Article 7.
• Jordan could become a resource for the Member States in outlining their progress to date under the requirements of Article 7.

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• Mine action is not part of the national development plan and consequently lacks effective coordination and prioritization.
• Priorities for mine action are currently established by the Royal Corps of Engineers with little consultation with other ministries.
• The overall structure of a mine action programme, including its coordination control and priority setting mechanisms, should be the responsibility of civilian authorities in-country in order to allow for effective donor interaction.
• Priorities for mine action should not be established by the Royal Corps of Engineers in isolation but rather within the context of an overall inter-ministerial reconstruction and development plan.
• Consideration should be given to allow for an integrated approach that would include a policy framework and priority setting agenda for mine action.

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• Mine clearance, mine awareness and medical assistance activities should be better integrated. A communications mechanism should be established to facilitate awareness of existing programmes and services.
• It is not advisable to develop a vertical programme for mine victims. Assistance to mine victims should be integrated into the overall injury prevention and control programme.
• Jordan should establish a formal mechanism for donor interaction to avoid duplication.

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• Jordan needs donor support for further expansion of existing capacities and to utilize advanced technologies. Dogs could be useful and cost effective for checking areas where the presence of mines is uncertain.
• The capacity building and sustainability within a local mine action NGO could be facilitated through collaboration with an international NGO and/or utilization of experienced humanitarian mine action experts. Donors would be encouraged to provide experienced and qualified Instructors.
• The flexibility and skills of the Royal Corps of Engineers could be expanded through training, to effectively and safely conduct surveys, and to clear contaminated areas, which are not following the standard minefield pattern.

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• Mine awareness should be strengthened as a component of the overall mine action strategy, but it should be undertaken in a very targeted manner. This should be aimed at specific areas where the threat of mines may pose a problem and not blanket the entire country, which could have a negative impact on the tourism industry, or on other socio-economic developments.
• Mine awareness must be participatory, community-based and integrated within the local educational, health and social infrastructures.
• Due to a lack of verifiable data on mine victims a needs assessment of the nature and scope of the problem should be identified prior to any programmes being instituted.
• Mine awareness should be undertaken at two levels. The first relates to the local level where the affected communities and localities can become involved with raising awareness. The second is at the national level. Raising awareness among key decision-makers to influence them into taking action. UNICEF could play a key role at both levels of intervention.
• Mine awareness must be participatory, community-based and integrated within the local educational, health and social infrastructures. The Ministry of Education should work in close cooperation with the Ministries of Tourism, Agriculture and Defence etc on examining the nature and scope of the problem, developing strategies of targeting affected population and disseminating relevant messages on this issue.
• Mine awareness teams should also work in close collaboration with deminers, as demining priorities are set within the phased approach. Clearance is undertaken in mined areas close to populated villages, then areas between these villages and the Jordan River Valley, and finally land is cleared between the Jordan Valley and the border with Israel.
• Both the Jordan Sports Centre for the Handicapped and the Hashmite Society of Soldiers with Special Needs should be used as channels of communicating mine awareness messages.

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• Strengthen existing facilities and services in order to avoid duplication of efforts.
  
• A coordination mechanism needs to be established to deal with mine victim assistance as well as other health emergencies. The mechanism should involve the Ministry of Health, military medical services, other relevant governmental organisations, the concerned UN agencies and NGOs.
• The injury surveillance system should be strengthened as part of the overall national health information system and should encompass landmine injuries as well as other forms of trauma.
  
• Community based facilities and programmes using an integrated approach is recommended.
• Training is a very important part of national capacity building and refresher courses should be available to all those involved with pre-surgery through rehabilitative care.
• In particular, strong linkages are required between the surgical procedures and the prosthetic fittings.
• Due to a lack of verifiable data on mine victims, a needs assessment of the nature and scope of the mine-related problem should be identified prior to any programme being instituted. This information should relate to the age, sex, area of residence, occupation, activities pursued during the time of the accident etc. UNICEF, together with WHO could undertake an assessment of the situation of mine victims and disseminate relevant data to all key partners.

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• Jordan, at the earliest opportunity should inform the United Nations of any assistance it may require for the implementation of Article 7 of the Ottawa Convention.

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• In-kind donations should be better co-ordinated in order to prevent duplication, such as the equipment list.

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