Approximately 1.5 million m2 of arable farmland in Jordan’s North Shunah District remains blocked by the presence of landmines. In an effort to support the clearance of the remaining minefields The European Commission signed today an agreement for €800,000 with the United Nations Development Programme.
The project will be completed by the end of 2007 and is expected to have a major socio-economic impact in an area identified by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation as one of the country’s most impoverished districts. Once cleared of mines, the land can again be used to harvest some of the richest fruit and vegetables.
The initial phase of the project will focus on training and undertaking technical surveys of the known minefields. The second phase of the project will concentrate on mechanical and manual demining which will be carried out by the Royal Engineering Corps. The National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation will undertake independent Quality Assurance of the demining operations based on the new national mine action standards which will be developed as part of the overall project.
Through the support from the European Commission, Jordan will also be one step closer to fulfilling its’ obligations under the Ottawa Treaty for clearing all the mines from its territory by 2009.