A mine-action "emergency" may arise when landmines or explosive remnants of war threaten the safety of refugees and internally displaced people. In some cases, these emergencies occur in countries that have mine-action programs in place. But in others, they occur in countries with no mine action capability.
Mine action emergencies require a rapid response. For example, in 1999, refugees from Kosovo began spontaneously streaming back to their homes, passing near or through areas contaminated with mines and unexploded munitions. An immediate response was required to provide mine-risk education services to returnees and to mark mined areas and clear them as quickly as possible.
The United Nations has developed a system for dealing with the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war in such emergencies: the Framework for Mine Action Planning and Rapid Response (referred to as the Rapid Response Plan (RRP).
Through the RRP, the United Nations provides emergency-response mine-action services when they are requested by a national government, the Security Council, a special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, or the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator as part of a peacekeeping operation or operations to confront a humanitarian crisis.
In these situations, the United Nations may: coordinate threat monitoring, planning and implementation in collaboration with other organizations; engage implementing partners for training, surveys, explosive ordnance disposal and mine clearance to permit the safe provision of humanitarian and relief aid; lead the development of a strategy for mine-risk education for displaced people and refugees; and help develop plans for transferring responsibility for mine action to national governments, whenever required.
The RRP formed the basis of the United Nations' mine-action response in Iraq in 2003. The lessons learned from this response have resulted in a review and update of the Framework. 
Deminers train for rapid response deployment