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Lebanon Mine Action CenterChekri Ghanem Casern, Damascus Road, Fiyadiyeh, Lebanon

Tel: +961 5 956143, Fax:+961 5 956192, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.lebmac.org

This Programme is funded by the European Unionand supported by the UNDP

ANNUALREPORT2017

Lebanon Mine Action Center

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"Peace without mine action isincomplete peace. I urge all MemberStates to keep this issue at the top ofthe international agenda whennegotiating peace, when seeking toprevent harm during conflicts, andwhen deploying emergencyhumanitarian responses in war zones.”

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

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AFD Agence française de développementAP Anti-PersonnelARCP Arab Regional Cooperation ProgramAT Anti-TankBAC Battle Area ClearanceBLOM Banque du Liban et d'Outre-Mer (Beirut, Lebanon)BRIC Beirut Research and Innovation Center CBU Cluster Bomb UnitCCM Convention on Cluster MunitionsCHA Confirmed Hazardous AreaCLO Community liaison officerCM Cluster MunitionsCPADD Centre de Perfectionnement aux Actions post conflictuelles de Déminage et DépollutionDA Dangerous AreaDCA Danish Church AidDG-DEVCO Directorate-General for International Cooperation and DevelopmentEDD Explosives Detection DogsEO Explosive OrdnanceEOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal ER Engineering RegimentERW Explosive Remnants of WarEU European UnionGICHD Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian DeminingGIS Geographic Information SystemGoF Government of FranceHI Humanity and InclusionHMA Humanitarian Mine ActionICRC International Committee of the Red CrossIMAS International mine action standardsIMSMA Information management system for mine actionISG International Support GroupLAF Lebanese Armed ForcesLAMiNDA Lebanese Association for Mine and Natural Disaster ActionLBP Lebanese PoundLMAA Lebanon Mine Action AuthorityLMAC Lebanon Mine Action CenterLMAP Lebanon Mine Action ProgrammeMAG Mine Advisory GroupMCT Mine Clearance TeamMF Mine FieldMoFA Ministry of Foreign AffairsMLI Marshall Legacy InstituteMoSA Ministry of Social AffairsMRE Mine Risk EducationMTT Multi-Task TeamMVA Mine Victim AssistanceNGO Non-Governmental OrganizationNMAS National Mine Action StandardsNPA Norwegian People’s AidNTS Non-Technical SurveyPOD Peace Generation Organization for DeminingQA Quality AssuranceQC Quality ControlQM Quality ManagementRMAC-N Regional Mine Action Center- NabatiehRR Rapid Response RSHDL Regional School for Humanitarian Demining in LebanonSCL Symptoms Check ListSDGs Sustainable development goalsSHA Suspected Hazardous AreaSMS Short Message ServiceSOP Standard operating procedureTS Technical SurveyUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergency FundUNMAS United Nations Mine Action ServicesUOB University of BalamandUSA United states of AmericaUXO Unexploded OrdnanceWRA Weapon Removal and Abatement


Foreword 4

Executive summary 6

About LMAC 7

1. Second Milestone Strategy Review 8

2. Output 1: The extent of the mine problem 10in Lebanon is continuously assessed with advanced clearance operations

2.1. Contamination and clearance reporting 11 2.2. Evidence-based decisions in prioritisation 16 2.3. Quality Assurance of released lands 17 2.4. National Mine Action Standards 18 2.5. National Resources 18 2.6. International resources 18 2.7. Cooperation and partnerships 20 2.7.1. ARCP 20 2.7.2. RSHDL 21 2.7.3. International Training 22 2.7.4. International and National visits 22 2.7.5. ISG Meeting 22 2.7.6. International Conventions and Meetings 23

3. Output 2: All residents of Lebanon are protected from harm 24 3.1. Mine Risk Education 25 3.2. Marking of hazardous areas 31 3.3. Rapid Response 31

4. Output 3: Victim assistance is provided based on rights and need 32 4.1. LMAC MVA capacity strengthened and coordination 33 mechanism established 4.2. Quality victim assistance 34 4.3. Mine Victims’ rights advocacy 37

5. Challenges 38

6. Future Steps 39

Table of Contents


This annual report sheds the light on accomplishments and the results of the Lebanon MineAction Center (LMAC), and our partners in 2017 and the obstacles we faced in reaching ourtarget of a “Lebanon free from the impact of mines, cluster bombs and unexplodedordnance”.

At the strategic level, the LMAC considers that effective planning and managementnecessitates periodical reviews to adapt to current and emerging circumstances and risks.Accordingly LMAC engaged in the Second Milestone Review of the LMAC strategy whichdefined the achievements, the challenges and lessons learned based on which the futurework plan of the centre was defined.

In line with our desire for continuous progress, LMAC updated its operations to increaseefficiency significantly. Accordingly we are relying increasingly on Non-Technical Surveyresulting in 1,227,025 m2 released up from 529,037 m2 in 2016. In addition 1,413,846 m2 ofland was cleared of cluster munitions remnants. As such 5,525 cluster munitions weredestroyed on site.

While Lebanon is not signatory to the Ottawa Convention, LMAC works in spirit of the treaty.Hence, in 2017 mine clearance increased significantly resulting in the clearance anddetonation on site of 9,390 mines as opposed to 560 in 2016.

In terms of efficiency, the release on the new NMAS with the support of an internationalUNDP expert, is a considerable achievement, harmonising our national standards with IMASwhich results in an expected increase of efficiency of at least 30%.

It’s important to note that the main indicator of Lebanon’s commitment and nationalownership remains the government decision to contribute 50 billion LBP (around USD 36.6million) over 5 years despite the economic crisis the country is facing.

The LMAC achievements were not limited to the national level but expanded to the regionallevel. As of January 2017 the ARCP was officially handed over to LMAC entrusting it themanagement on the strategic and activity level. In addition, the Regional School forHumanitarian Demining became operational this year, enabling civilian and militarypersonnel from Arab and friendly countries to benefit from a wide array of courses related tohumanitarian demining.

Since our ultimate goal is humanitarian; 2017 focused increasingly on raising awarenessthrough MRE events all over the country and providing support to victims through incomegenerating initiatives and medical support.

Foreword from LMAC Director


Despite the considerable achievement, LMAC faced equivalently significant challenges thatput the Mine Action Community through some trials. Lebanon is an exceptional country as itwelcomed more than 1 million displaced Syrian, increasing the population in a couple ofyears by more than 30 %. Many of the makeshift camps were built near contaminated areasthereby increasing the exposure of civilians to risk. In 2017, the number of victims toppled to28 up from 7 the year before.

In addition, after the defeat of the terrorists by the LAF, a large area was discovered to becontaminated with IEDs. This adds another challenge to our ongoing projects, in a year inwhich we have also expanded operations on the Blue Line. However, our main challengeremains the decrease of funding for mine action, resulting in fewer teams. All of thesechallenges contribute in a different way to our ability to reach the target of CCM set in 2021.

Our future plans include an increasing reliance on Non-Technical Survey and Technical Surveyon the clearance level and to initiate clearance operations in the north-eastern borders. Inaddition, we plan to empower victims through inclusive income generating projects and raiseawareness on the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance all over the country. Our goalalso includes identifying ways in which Mine Action activities link with the SDGs.

We couldn’t have accomplished these achievements without the perpetual support of all ourpartners and donors. I would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of all thedonors supporting the clearance operations, Mine Risk Education, Mine Victim Assistanceand RSHDL namely the USA, the European Union, the Netherlands, Norway, Japan, France,UNDP, UNICEF, Marshall Legacy Institute and the BLOM Bank. I would like to particularly thankthe UNDP project funded by the EU for its technical assistance and institutional support, andall of the national and international NGOs operating in Lebanon.

2017 was an extraordinary year for Lebanon and in particular for the Lebanon Mine ActionCentre. This year witnessed exceptional achievements and complex challenges. UltimatelyLMAC succeeded in accommodating to changes in the national and regional level andachieve considerable progress on an international scale.

We look forward to working with you all in 2018 and beyond.

Brigadier General Ziad NasrDirector of the Lebanon Mine Action Center


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The following report highlights the achievements of LMAC in 2017. The first section focuses onthe accomplishment in operations. In this respect, LMAC monitored and engaged in regular andclear reporting on clearance as well as contamination location, scope and extent. LMAC usedevidence-based prioritization in tasking clearing operations, bearing in mind linkages betweenMine Action and sustainable development goals.

To ensure that released lands do not expose their owners to any risk, LMAC strengthened qualityassurance and quality control procedures using best standards and practices while respectingapproved SOPs. Simultaneously, LMAC launched the review of the National Mine Action Standardsin line with the International Mine Action Standards. The application of the new NMAS is expectedto take place in 2018.

In a definite sign of commitment, besides the USD 9 million allocated each year for LMAC, theLebanese government allocated 50 billion Lebanese pounds for Cluster Munitions clearance. Thiscontribution is complementary to the contributions of the varied international donors. Accordingly,this year was marked by exceptional cooperation not only on the national level but moreimportantly on the regional level characterized by intensified cooperation. As a result, Lebanonwas assigned as the leader of ARCP in 2017 to manage and coordinate all its activities. Moreover,the Regional School of Humanitarian Demining in Lebanon (RSHDL) opened and launched itsfirst courses. LMAC was actively engaged in various national, regional, and international platformsfor advocacy and the exchange of experience, as well as capacity building initiatives to keepLebanon’s team up-to-date with the latest practices in Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA).

In order to increase the level of community awareness towards this life-threatening hazard, LMACimplemented various MRE activities, in cooperation with the MRE Steering Committee, includinga national MRE campaign, activities at educational institutions across Lebanon and other year-round MRE activities.

Since 1998, the work of LMAC has been driven to secure “a country free from landmines and otherexplosive remnants of war where people and communities live in a safe environment conduciveto national development, and where landmine and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) survivorsare fully integrated in the society and have their rights and needs recognized and fulfilled.”

This year recorded a considerable increase of mines and ERW victims to twenty eight (28)casualties including 22 injured and 6 dead. Consequently, LMAC in coordination with the MineVictim Assistance (MVA) Steering Committee vigorously provided support in accordance tovictims’ needs as means allowed. Provisions varied to include socio-economic support, physicalrehabilitation, and psychological and psycho-social aid. Income generating projects were launchedand developed to benefit a large portion of injured victims.

Executive Summary


LEBANON MINE ACTION CENTER | LMAC

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About LMAC

Operations

RMACInformationTechnology

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Mine VictimAssistance (MVA)

Relying on the unconditional desire to serve the Lebanese community, The LMAC remainsdedicated to its mission; to manage the Lebanon Mine Action Programme to the highest possibleefficiency, utilizing best practices and standards.

With a vision for Lebanon to be free of the impact of landmines, cluster munitions, unexplodedordnance, and all explosive remnants of war. Demining operators consisting of national andinternational NGOs work under the direct supervision of the Operation section of LMAC.

With the aim to effectively plan, coordinate and implement mine risk education and mine victimassistance activities, MRE and MVA sections rigorously supervise two respective steeringcommittees. Furthermore, a team of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stafflocated at both the LMAC and the RMAC-N is deployed to enhance the capacity of the LMACthrough the provision of administrative, advisory support and technical assistance.

RSHDL

Mine Risk Education(MRE)

AdministrationLogistics

Figure 1: LMAC pillars and functions

Established in 1998, the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC) operates under the command ofthe Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). This center wasdesignated as the responsible body to execute and coordinate the (LMAP) Lebanon Mine ActionProgramme on behalf of The Lebanon Mine Action Authority (LMAA).

The LMAC accentuates on applying a humanitarian approach centered on promoting safety,reducing risks, and relieving human suffering through the containment of the socio-economicand environmental impacts of mines and ERW on the local community.

Headed by the Director, LAF officers have been assigned to manage the various pillars andfunctions of HMA, including:

LMAC


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In 2011 the Lebanon Mine Action Center issuedits strategy for 2011 - 2020 enabling the centerto implement activities in line with its longterm vision and in accordance withinternational agreements in particular theConvention on Cluster Munitions. The LMACconsiders that effective strategic managementnecessitates periodical reviews that adapt tonew circumstances, challenges and risks.Accordingly with the support of the EuropeanUnion, the LMAC issued the second StrategyMilestone Review for 2014 - 2016. This reviewoutlines the achievements, the lessons learnedand the challenges based on which the workplan for 2017 – 2020 was developed as follows:

Output 1: The extent of the mine problem in Lebanon iscontinuously assessed with advanced clearance operations.

Indicators 1.1. Regular reports are produced promoting clarity on the location,

scope and extent of contamination by mines, cluster munitions,unexploded ordnance and other explosive remnants of war.

1.2. Evidence-based decisions are made in prioritizing and taskingclearance operations, bearing in mind the linkages between mineaction and the sustainable development goals.

1.3. No land is released unless quality is assured by using best standardsand practices, applying agreed principles and procedures for landrelease, and respecting approved standard operating procedures.

1.4. Effective clearance methods, applying national standards in linewith international standards, are used to attain a Lebanon free frommines and cluster munitions.

1.5. National resources are identified and allocated to support clearanceplans.

1.6. International resources are identified and mobilized to supportclearance plans.

1.7. Cooperation is promoted and expanded, and partnerships areestablished.

LMAC Second Milestone Strategy Review1Annual report 2017 1-2.qxp_Layout 1 6/13/18 10:14 AM Page 8

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ACTIVITIES UNDERTHE ABOVE OUTPUTSWERE IMPLEMENTEDBY THE LMAC, THEMVA STEERINGCOMMITTEE, THEMRE STEERINGCOMMITTEE, ANDDEMININGORGANIZATIONS,EACH ACCORDINGTO ITS CAPACITY.

Output 2: All residents of Lebanon are protected from harm.

Indicators2.1 Targeted and focused age and gender risk reduction education

programs are implemented based on needs assessment,vulnerability and understanding of risk-taking behavior so thatcivilian casualties are prevented irrespective of nationality.

2.2 Confirmed hazardous areas are marked (to the extent possible)and legislation to protect the marking is enforced.

2.3 The rapid response system is functional.

Output 3: Victim assistance is provided based on rights and need.

Indicators

3.1 The capacity of LMAC to provide victim assistance is strengthenedand a comprehensive coordination mechanism is established.

3.2 Quality victim assistance is provided.

3.3 Victims are aware of their rights and access services with dignitythrough a rights-based approach.


OUTPUT 1:The extent of the mine problem in Lebanon is continuouslyassessed with advanced clearance operations.2

Message from LMACOperation Section Head:The combined clearance efforts ofdemining operators workingclosely under the supervision ofLMAC contributed to the clearanceof 68% of the total contaminatedareas across the country. LMAC willpursue its mission to clear theremaining 52,277,756 sqm ofcontaminated Hazardous Area inan efficient and timely manner.


6,711

CM AP AT UXO

519358

147

7%4%

2%

87%

Table 1: Demining Capacity per Teams, Item found and Cleared Areas

Capacity (Teams)

Land Released (sqm)

CM (item)

UXO(item)

Capacity (Teams)

Land Released (sqm)

AP (item)

AT (item)

UXO (item)

ICM (item)

AP (item)

AT (item)

UXO (item)

4

285,270

1,087

9

2

18,940

55

-

1

4

128,904

2,163

-

157

5

414,950

392

92

3

48,022

3,166

37

105

2

-

-

-

4

297,360

2,996

2

2

42,295

3,463

-

-

1

-

-

-

4

223,916

387

-

-

-

1

-

-

98

-

-

-

3

192,350

144

5

20

1,413,846

5,006

108

11

238,161

8,848

37

263

101

-

-

-

Implementing PartnerDa

n Ch

urch

Aid

(D

CA)

BAC

Min

e Cl

eara

nce

Rapi

dRe

spon

se

Hand

icap

Inte

rnat

iona

l (HI

)

Min

es A

dviso

ry

Grou

p (M

AG)

Norw

egia

n Pe

ople

’s Ai

d (N

PA)

Peac

e Ge

nera

tion

(POD

)

LAM

INDA

Tota

l

Itemsfound

Itemsfound

Itemsfound


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in the blue line1 and the launching ofoperations in the north CHA following non-technical surveys.

2.1 CONTAMINATIONS AND CLEARANCE REPORTING 1. Clearance OperationsThe most remarkable achievement in 2017 is the significant surge inthe number of AP mines cleared from 560 in 2016 to 9,390 in 2017.This change is mostly a result of the initiation of clearing operations

1 The 118 km long border demarcation between the Israeli Enemy and Lebanon

In addition to the above-mentioned statistics, the LAF cleared 410,509 sqm and destroyed the following items:CM519

AP358

AT147

UXO6,711

Figure 2: Item found and destroyed by LAF


OUTPUT 1

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2The year 2017 witnessed significantaccomplishments illustrated by an increasingreliance on non-technical survey (1,227,025 m2

released up from 514,866 m2 in 2016)

contributing to the enhancement of the operational efficiency, as well as theadjustment of contamination baseline and data integrity. The increasedreliance on non-technical survey has enabled the more specific determinationof CHA which resulted in targeting the highly contaminated areas.

No.

-

41

1

13

-

55

No.

7

-

-

-

8

15

Sqm

70,000

1,640

-

-

54,794

126,434

Sqm

-

550,347

8,000

933,000

-

1,491,347

No.

7

41

1

13

8

70

Sqm

70,000

551,987

8,000

933,000

54,794

1,617,781

No.

-

10

1

13

-

24

Sqm

-

286,025

8,000

933,000

-

1,227,025

No.

-

3

-

-

8

11

Sqm

-

41,900

-

-

54,794

96,694

No.

7

28

-

-

-

35

Sqm

70,000

224,062

-

-

-

294,062

CBU

MF

DA

MA

SHA

Total

Tasked fromData Base

TotalCancelled

through NTSScheduled for

Clearance

Area referred to

TS

New tasksAdded &surveyed

Table 2:NTS led in 2017

Table 3: Clearance progress by land type and by Area cleared

76%

6%

18%

Cancelled through NTS

C

Area referred to TS Scheduled for Clearance

5

Figure 3: Surveyed tasks segregation

Haz.Areas (#)

3.07%

46,093,947 1,080 29,573,432 2,116 109,778,471 5,01134,111,092 1,815

17,178,144 843 15,031,261 323 52,277,756 2,58120,068,351 1,415

0.49% 1.48% 1.88%

72.90% 66.30% 63.00% 67.70%

Area (sqm)

1,92363,272,091

1,413,846 43 143,501 9 505,169 33 2,062,516 85

2,43944,604,693 3,23054,179,443 7,592162,056,227

Haz.Areas (#)

Area (sqm)

Haz.Areas (#)

Area (sqm)

Haz.Areas (#)

Area (sqm)

Type

Baseline

Cleared in 2017

Average of Released sqm

Aggregate Cleared

Remaining Contaminated

Average of Released sqm (in 2017)

CBU's Dangerous Area Mine Fields Total

During 2017, clearance operations were supported by 5 Mechanical Teams (1MAG + 4 LAF), and 7 Mine Detection Dogs Teams (MDD) from LAF. Thesesecondary assets are deployed in order to support the clearance teams and thusincrease the efficiency and speed of the clearance process.



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143,501 1,413,846

505,169

69%7%

24%

Figure 4: 2017 Clearance by Hazard type

70,000

551,987

8,000

933,000

54,794

-

41,900

-

-

54,794

-

286,025

8,000

933,000

-

- 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000 900,000 1,000,000

Released through NTS TS taked Surveyed Areas

SHA

MA

DA

MF

CBU

Figure 5: Clearance progress of 2017 by type of Hazard LAND RELEASE

In addition, based on the continuous ambition to improve clearancemethodologies and following the visit of the LMAC director and theHead of Operations Section to an NPA EDD training facility in Sarajevo,LMAC considered adopting the use of Explosives Detection Dogs (EDD)to reduce the clearance costs and increase outputs. The EDDassessment phase project was launched in 2017. The pilot projectwhich is expected to take place in 2018, should enhance technicalsurvey for BAC operations, and thus contribute to the increase ofclearance productivity and cost saving.The continuous supervision and monitoring activities conducted by LMAC,along with the fruitful cooperation of the CLO’s and local community, haveled to the discovery of new dangerous areas during 2017. The fact thatrequired a rapid intervention and mobilization of the relevant stakeholdersin order to overcome the impact of additional contamination and reduce itssocio-economic impact.

2. Land ReleaseLMAC thus strived to secure a safe and efficient land release toimpacted communities. This long and yet extensive process relies onthree main components: non-technical survey (NTS), technical survey(TS) and subsequent clearance of areas contaminated by landminesand explosive remnants of war (ERW), including cluster munitions. 76%of surveyed lands were released through NTS

Dangerous Area Mine Fields

C

CBU 's


OUTPUT 1

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23. Information ManagementIn its persistent aim to strive for bettertransparency and accountability the LMACstrengthened its information managementsection thereby enabling it to support all sectionsand produce detailed reports. In this context theLMAC and the UNDP project funded by the EU,have a dedicated team of staff that collects,

aggregates and consolidates daily information using the IMSMA softwareenabling it to produce clear reports on the location, scope and extent ofcontamination by mine cluster munitions, unexploded remnants and otherexplosive remnants of war. This reporting level improves capabilities fordecision-making, coordination and information policy related tohumanitarian mine action. The quality of collected data is monitoredthrough regular and systematic checks at each stage of reporting.

Figure 6: clearance progress by province and type of Hazardous Area

1, 945, 384

5, 296, 398

9, 320, 509

20, 000

595, 853

4,269, 740

2, 880,117

654, 116

4, 206, 343

840

3, 020, 105

1, 107, 643

1, 493, 996

6, 625, 595

278, 315

10, 562, 802

0

Al Nabatiyeh

Al Shimal

Beyrouth

Jabal Loubnan

Al Janoub

Al Beqaa

5000000 10000000 15000000

MF

DA

CBU

Figure 7: Contamination as of 31/12/2017 by Field type and by province

351,912

3,933,684

6,664,653

15,327,067

7,017,558

2,948,945

30,168,557

16,058,092

8,245,903

0

424,070

1,306,067

0

2,545

425,894

246,411

2,137,483

14,519,630

1,945,384

4,269,740

1,107,643

5,296,398

2,880,117

1,493,996

9,320,509

654,116

6,625,595

20,000

4,206,343

278,315

840

0

595,853

3,020,105

10,562,802

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

CBU

DA

MF

Area Cleared (SQM) Remained to be Clearead (SQM)

Jaba

l Lou

bnan

Beyr

outh

Al S

him

alA

l Jan

oub

Al B

eqaa

CBU

DA

MF

CBU

DA

MF

CBU

DA

MF

CBU

DA

MF

CBU

DA

MF



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Figure 8: NPA trained Explosives Detection Dogs

In 2017, the clearance capacity per demining operator is resumed by the following table:

Pilot project (EDD fot TS)

The aim of deploying Explosive Detection Dogs forTechnical Survey is to confirm if contamination exists oncurrent suspect Dangerous Areas (DA’s) where only NTShas been conducted. In addition EDD can be deployed toimplement Technical Survey (TS) on areas that were

previously suggested for cancellation. It also help toconfirm that the DA coordinated based on Non-TechnicalSurvey reports are accurate. Follow up to new rapidresponse may also be checked with EDD to save creatingnew DAs.

•

PHASE 1:

PHASE 2:

PHASE 3:

PHASE 4:

PHASE 5:

Test the EDDson cluster munitionsat the RMAC trainingarea in Nabatiyeh.

•RMAC will thenaccredit the EDDTechnical Survey Team.

•The Team will conduct test on3 to 4 tasks.

•The RMAC will conductclearance on these tasks to ensure no itemwhere found after theTechnical Survey.

•Pilot ends and the EDDTechnical Survey Teamwill be used by NPAand the LMAC for thisrole in funding permits.


Housing,Road, Hospitals, Schools, …

Priority 01Water, Electricity, Sewage, Landlines, …

Priority 02Agricultural Lands and Livestock Farms, ...

Priority 03Natural Reserves, Wild Life Territories and Other Un-Exploited Territories, ...

Priority 04

OUTPUT 1

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22.2 EVIDENCE BASED PRIORITIZATION Since the launch of Humanitarian Mine Action Activities in Lebanon, the clearance priorities were set by LMAC to securea safer accessibility of the impacted communities to the following priorities:

Accordingly, LMAC analyses the socio-economic aspect of the remaining contaminated lands and assigns related tasks.Since priority 01 has been 100% achieved, the 2017 tasks were segregated as per the following:

Figure 9: Clearance Priorities

0%

70%

30%

0%

Priority 01 Priority 02 Priority 03 Priority 04

Figure 10: Clearance Tasks by Priority

NB: LMAC initiated the operations of the forth clearance priority through the initiation of the demining works in the Cedar forest reserve ofHadath Al Joubeh – North Lebanon.



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2.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE OF RELEASED LANDSchecks were made at every stage of operations,including planning and training. Check listswere designed to ensure that the accreditedIAs work according to their own SOPs and incompliance with the NMAS and LMAC’sdirections.

In 2017, the total number of QA visits madewere 1,092. The following table shows detailsregarding visits done to NGOs. It shows highlevel of adherence by NGOs to the NMAS andSOPs. Demining incidents and accidents wereinvestigated by the NGOs. LMAC alwaysconducted independent investigations, andappropriate actions were taken to insureincreased safety and distribution of lessonslearned.

The Quality Management (QM) process in mine action uses a two-stageapproach to ensure quality-demining operations and guarantee the landreleased to owner(s) is safe. The Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC)considers QM a key function in all demining activities. It covers accreditationat three levels: organizational, team and individual accreditation, monitoringduring operations, and inspection of final product.

Organizational and Team Accreditation is generally renewable basedon LMAC successful on-site QA and QC assessments as long asappropriate performance levels have been achieved in the previousyear. On the individual level, all personnel involved directly inoperations are re-evaluated at the beginning of the year. In 2017, 103operational accreditation were issued.

The first stage in QM is Quality Assurance (QA) and focuses on all ofthe processes used during Land Release. Although QA monitoring isinternally conducted by all accredited IAs, it is also conductedexternally by the LMAC’s QA/QC Section. In 2017, Quality Assurance

The Beirut Research and Innovation Center(BRIC) which renewed the MoU signed withthe LMAC, is still working on a project toenhance monitoring of the organizationsstaff in the minefields using special Bluetoothcameras during the demining operations.

The analysis of these figures indicates that the percentage ofunacceptable reports is 3.9% which reflects high adherence by theNGOs to the NMAS. Important remarks from these reports werecirculated when necessary.

The second stage of QM is Quality Control (QC) which focuses on theinspection of the final product, the land presented by the IA as beingsafe for release. QC should be conducted before the land is formallyhanded over to its owner(s). QC provides confidence that theprocedures applied have achieved a maximum degree of safety andthat the land is indeed free of EO hazards to the agreed minimumdepth in the ground. Quality Control should be designed to help allthose involved identify and resolve any problems that arise in theachievement of the desired goal. During 2017, two teams of qualitycontrol were working. The total number of tasks checked was 28; thetotal area checked was 76,290 m2. All 28 tasks were recommendedfor completion.

Organisations

MAGLAMINDA

NPADCAPODH I

Total

25517271514103

34879210221501351043

3010004

326320034

66550022

36087222228701251092

1451070442

Accredita

tion

Mon

itorin

g

Dem

oliti

ons

Com

plet

ions

Trai

ning

Tota

l

Unac

cept

able

Quality Assurance

Table 4: QA Results by Clearance Operator


OUTPUT 1

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2

2.4 NATIONAL MINE ACTION STANDARDS In 2017 LMAC with the support of aninternational UNDP Mine Action expertinitiated the revision of the NMAS in line withIMAS. The revised National Mine ActionStandards (NMAS), which is expected to bereleased during the first quarter of 2018,witnessed the optimization of clearance-related operating processes andmethodologies that aim to speed up the paceand efficiency of the clearance operations. Whilst reflecting the local requirements within

the mine action programme the Lebanon NMAS also ensures that theyadhere to the main guiding principles of IMAS, and other national orinternational norms and standards, and are in compliance with theinternational conventions related to landmines and ERW. The nationalstandards reflect national ownership, protect those most at risk, buildnational capacity, and maintain and apply appropriate and consistentstandards for mine action. The manual excavation remains the most frequently used primaryclearance method, however, the reduction of excavation depth and thedecrease in fade out included in the revised NMAS should boost theoperational efficiency by at least 30%.

2.6 INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES During the year 2017, fundraising effortsimplemented by the LMAC and its partners

2.5 NATIONAL RESOURCES The government contributes an average amountof USD 9 million per year for Mine Action. In 2017Lebanon’s government confirmed its solid

commitment to Mine Action through the decision to contribute 50 billionLBP (around USD 36.6 million) over 5 years for cluster munitions despite theeconomic crisis the country is facing.

enabled Lebanon to secure a total of 12,007,698.27 USD for the LebanonMine Action Programme (LMAP).


NGOHIHIHIHIHI

MAGMAGMAGMAGMAGMAGMAGMAGMAGMAGMAGMAGNPANPANPANPANPANPANPANPANPANPADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCADCA

LMACBalamandBalamandBalamand

DONORAFD

BLOMDEVCO (EU)

JAPANWRA

European UnionWRA WRA WRA DutchDutchJAPAN

Norwegian MFANorwegian MFA

UMCOR (Trusts & Foundation)UMCOR (Trusts & Foundation)

Kirby Lain (Trusts & Foundation)European UnionEuropean Union

JapanNorwegian MFANorwegian MFANorwegian MFANPA Own FundsNPA Own Funds

PM/WRAPMWRADutchDutchDutchDutchDutch

PMWRAPMWRAPMWRAPMWRA

European UnionEuropean UnionEuropean UnionEuropean Union

PMWRAPMWRAPMWRA

European UnionUNICEF

Marshall Legacy InstituteEuropean Union

ACTIVITYDeminingDeminingDeminingDeminingDeminingClearance

MREDeminingClearanceClearance

MREDeminingClearance

MREClearance

MREMREBAC

Ops SupportMMCBACMRE

Ops SupportBAC

Ops SupportOps Support

BACDemining/BAC

RECapacity Building

SupportAdmin Fee

BACRE

SupportAdmin fee

Demining/BACSupport

Capacity BuildingAdmin fee

BACSupport

Admin feeCapacity Building

MREMVA

MRE-MVA

TOTAL


19

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2017 Amount150,645.04184,442.00637,621.4574,649.12467,581.46781,980.00

774.00600,000.00612,401.00680,339.00

170.00497,799.00869,107.00

831.0087,456.002,544.0046,500.00369,993.00250,160.00529,471.00400,798.0022,000.00587,855.0077,912.0011,928.0041,562.00323,438.00360,945.338,526.03852.59

178,095.5149,357.82550,420.1631,192.57163,146.5143,288.70547,361.96265,015.5223,436.6458,506.99210,032.24138,204.1728,433.19537,425.26200,000.00113,500.00190,000.00

12,007,698.27

Table 5: Funds by NGO/Donor/Activity


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This conference brought together National MineAction Directors, other relevant stakeholders andmine action donors. The aim of the conferencewas to promote regional cooperation betweenthe participating programs on thinking througha strategy at the regional level. The programsshared and discussed the ARCP strategy draft2018-2020 and agreed on a final version. Duringthe conference, the participants exchanged bestpractices, discussed ways to translate the strategyin the working context. They will have theopportunity to interact through small groupworking sessions.

.Regional Mine Risk EducationBetween the 12th and the 14th of December 2017,the ARCP organized a workshop on Mine RiskEducation in Khartoum-Sudan. The aim of thisworkshop was to exchange best practices about riskeducation in both legacy and new contaminationin the Arab Countries. The workshop offered anopportunity for the participants to identify key issuesand challenges in mine risk education and toreinforce the key principles. It comprised of lecturesand presentations by the GICHD, HandicapInternational, country representatives, and alsoother organizations. The participants had theopportunity to interact through small groupworking sessions and group work.Moreover, the ARCP coordinator continuednetworking to create a pool of experts in mineaction areas on local and regional levels.

2.7 COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIPS 1. The Arab Regional Cooperation ProgrammeAs of January 2017, LMAC became fully responsible of theadministration of the ARCP and is therefore in charge of planning andmanaging the program as well as coordinating and implementing theARCP’s activities. GICHD continued providing support neededeffectively the 1st of January 2017 according to the signed MoUbetween the LMAC and the GICHD.On 6-7 April 2017, the LMAC’s director and the ARCP coordinatorvisited the GICHD in Geneva to explore future areas for cooperation.During their two-day visit they met with the director of the GICHDAmbassador Stefano Toscano, as well as heads of divisions, theregional cooperation coordinator and many GICHD advisors.Throughout the two days, the visitors were briefed on many areas ofGICHD’s work, in particular the regional cooperation programs.

.Strategic Planning WorkshopThe ARCP organized a Strategic Planning in mine action programworkshop in Egypt between the 9th and the 11th of May 2017.Besides LMAC officers, participants were from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan,Libya, Mauritania, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, Sudan and Algeria. Theoverall objective of this workshop is to enable national mine actionauthorities in the Arab countries to plan, develop, and conduct aneffective strategy which achieves the goals of their mine actionprograms. After attending this workshop, participants had a goodunderstanding of the principles and tools required for effectivestrategic planning, including the development of a multi-yearstrategic plan.

. 6th annual Conference for the National Directors of Arab ProgramsBetween the 17th and the 19th of October 2017, the ARCP organizedthe 6th annual conference for the national directors of the Arabprograms. This conference held in Beirut – Lebanon with a high levelof participation of Arab countries.



21

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The year 2017 witnessed remarkable achievement such as:

. Facilities: BLOC A which contains offices, storages, traininghalls and bedrooms was renovated, and was totally furnishedwith the financial support of the European Union (EU),Government of France (GOF), BLOM Bank and UNDP.

.Trainings: With the coordination of the French Army, trainersset sessions, programs and courses which will be offered inRSHDL (EOD 1 – EOD 2 – EOD 3 – NTS)

a. 21 August 2017 – First session for Non-Technical Survey(NTS) in LMAC for LAF members

b. 2 October 2017 – First session in RSHDL Hammana for EOD1for LAF members

c. 7-8 November 2017 – Training Workshop for GenderDiversity organized by GICHD for civilians and LAF membersworking in the mine action field

d. 4 December 2017 – Second session for Non-Technical Survey(NTS) for LAF members

.Visits: Many delegations visited the RSHDL to observe itsoperations while RSHDL officers attended training sessionsoutside Lebanon to increase knowledge

e. From 26 February to 1 July 2017 – Visit of the Director ofLMAC, and the Head of RSHDL, to Republic of Benin toexchange experiences with Centre de Perfectionnement auxActions post conflictuelles de Déminage et Dépollution(CPADD) and to know how it works and the challenges faced

f. 24 August 2017 – Visit of the Military Attaché of France tosee the ongoing effort

g. 19 October 2017 –A delegation from the Arab RegionalCooperation Program (ARCP), where they see the operationsof RSHDL and its mission

h. 9 November 2017 – Moroccan Delegation visited RSHDL toits operations and mission

Based on an agreement between thegovernment of France and the Lebanon MineAction Program, the Regional School forHumanitarian Demining in Lebanon (RSHDL)was established in Hammana to satisfy theneed for trainings in the field of humanitarianoperations in the Middle East and Arabspeaking countries. Accordingly, many Arabcountries have expressed their desire tobenefit from HMA trainings in the school.This institution is characterized by a highdegree of proficiency that enables it tograduate skilled personnel in the field ofhumanitarian demining operations. Theschool will take advantage of the pool ofexperts in demining to train military andcivilian personnel working in Arab andfriendly countries especially those devastatedby war. Therefore the significance and thesustainability of this school stems from thedire regional need for humanitariandemining.

2. The Regional School for Humanitarian Demining in Lebanon (RSHDL)


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a mine explosion demolition process andthanked the LMAC for its hospitality andappreciated the work it has done and pledgedtheir efforts to secure the necessary support toaddress the mine problem in Lebanon.

In addition to the aforementioned visits, LMACreceived several delegations and internationalorganizations on a mission to differentminefields in Lebanon.

5. ISG MeetingLMAC hosted its annual International SupportGroup (ISG) under the patronage of H.E. Mr,Yaacoub Al Sarraf, Minister of Defense ofLebanon, with the support of UNDP.

3. International TrainingAs part of the capacity building process, in line with the 2011-2020 Strategyand in accordance with the National (NMAS) and International Mine ActionStandards (IMAS), LMAC staff during 2017 participated in different trainingcourses on the:.Training on EOD held in Denmark..Training on NTS held in Germany. .Training on IMSMA held in Spiez..Training on MRE held in Geneva.Training on Demining in Kuwait

In terms of International assistance provided through the ArabRegional cooperation Programme (ARCP), Lebanon hosted the annualconference for the ARCP in which 10 countries participated.

4. International and National visitsIn the framework of cooperation and exchange of expertise andinformation on mines, a delegation from the Kingdom of Moroccovisited Lebanon, consisting of officers from the Royal Armed Forces, theMoroccan Red Crescent, the Ministry of Health of Morocco, the Ministryof Family, Solidarity, Equality and Social Development and theInternational Committee of the Red Cross. The visit aimed to establishrelations with Lebanon Mine Action Center in order to exchangeinformation on future mine action activities.

As part of the international community’s support for Lebanon in the fieldof humanitarian mine action operations, and in the follow-up to thehumanitarian operations of demining, during 2017 Ambassadors to themain donors countries visited Lebanon Mine Action Center, where theylistened to a brief of the work of the LMAC and its role in humanitarianoperations for mine action. At the end of the visit, Ambassadors attended



23

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The meeting was attended by 110 participants from national andinternational mine action partners, embassies, UN agencies, deminingorganizations, private sector as well as representatives of MRE/MVAsteering committees.

The goal was to bring back the Lebanese mine action problem to theattention of the international and national communities and call for securedfunding to reach the ambition of a land free from the impact of mines, ERWand cluster munitions. This event that carried a slogan “Hand in Hand to

end mines” aimed to increase the level of supportto help Lebanon reach its 2020-2021 commitment.

All the participants started by recognizing theachievements of the Lebanese armed forcesin defending Lebanon from terrorism andextended their sincere condolences to thefamilies of the army soldiers who lost theirlives defending this country.

LMAC has been continuously working towards its strategic objectivefocused on ensuring “compliance to and promotion of theuniversalization of the CCM and other relevant internationalinstruments”. Accordingly LMAC participated in the 7th Meeting ofStates Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions was held inGeneva in September 2017.

In addition, with reference to the Ottawa treatystates parties meeting, a delegation from LMAChad the opportunity to attend as observer StateNon-Party .This participation provided Lebanonthe opportunity to outline the next steps toachieve a world free of anti-personnel mines.

6. International Conventions and Meetings


OUTPUT 2:All residents of Lebanon are protected from harm3

Message from LMAC MRESection Head:The remarkable achievements inMRE that reached out to all agegroups and social sectors have beenexecuted in light of LMAC majorstrategic indicators. As it embarkson the 19th year of professionalwork in MRE context, LMACachieved an immense successtowards meeting its strategictargets. Meanwhile and consideringthe 2016 milestone, LMAC was ableto raise awareness among morethan 1,000,000 people among theimpacted communities. Mine riskeducation had its plans in 2017directed towards more widespreadmedia coverage and thus a widernational coverage of its events. Theawareness event gathered thenational MRE Steering Committee,demining organizations, UNIFILand other UN agencies, victims,army personnel and LMAC staff

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1. MRE ActivitiesBy contributing to educating more than 1,000,000 people on the risksof mines, LMAC is using MRE as an effective alternative to lessen theimpact of mines in the absence of adequate funds in the clearanceoperations. With a considerable focus on children as they are highlyvulnerable to the risks of mines, MRE campaigns reached out to allsocial sectors and age groups adopting the principle of properdissemination of awareness messages to reduce the number ofvictims as much as possible. The situation has worsened with the influx of the displaced Syriansleading to an increase in population density translated into higherthreat of mines in suspicious areas. The effectiveness of MRE interventions are not limited to the provisionof the necessary awareness materials; but include also themeasurement of the extent of the behavioral, the most challengingpillars in MRE. In 2017, LMAC conducted several post- test andfeedback mechanisms that range from using questions and answerscontests during campaigns, competition games revealing the impactof the message, painting and art works by children showing theirperception of mines danger in addition to opening of puppet showthat allowed children to interact genuinely with the message beingdelivered. During 2017, LMAC provided more than 114 MRE presentations inschools and universities in Lebanon and conducted a vast number offield visits to promote mine risk education in more than 100 villages,50 social and cultural development centers, reaching 10,483 peopleof whom 5464 were females, 5019 were males. Such activities wereaided by materials and approaches designed to reach the largestnumber of schools and the general population. The hope of saving lives and enabling people to move freely on this landcan’t be achieved without the continuous repetition of MRE awarenessmessages for the purpose of sustaining the impact of the message. In thisregard, and with the support of EU and UNICEF, LMAC was able to integrate

most of the impacted communities’ includingSyrian displaced in Lebanon, in mine riskeducation campaigns and awareness sessions.Accordingly with the EU support LMAC executedmore than 10 TOT reaching out to more than280 teachers in public schools in Lebanon.Considering that each person being educated onthe risks of mines is disseminating the message,LMAC hopes to reach the largest proportion ofpopulations at risk. To note, trained teachers inpublic schools disseminate MRE messages tomore than 121,000 students per year. In addition,LMAC contributed to the provision of more than600 awareness campaigns and sessions in morethan 600 villages and 600 schools and 6universities. Through this wide reach, LMAC hasbroaden the scope of the intervention.�

Place of trainingNABATIYEHSOUTH BEKAABEIRUTMOUNT LEBANONNORTHAKKARAARSALTOTAL

participants2831642147332828280

3.1 MINE RISK EDUCATION

Table 6: MRE teachers training in public schoolssupported by EU

DON’T COMECLOSE, DON’T TOUCH, REPORT TOLEBANON MINEACTION CENTER 961 5 956143


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3In addition to LMAC direct field interventions,LMAC supervised the events of the MRE national

steering committee that delivered numerous interventions in schools, youthand scouts as it appears in the table below:

Scouts

Students

Youth

NGOs

Teachers

Teachers

MoSA

MoSA

Total

UNICEF

UNICEF

UNICEF

UNICEF

EU

UNICEF

EU

UNICEF

190

784

240

610

7

3

8

3

1845

5563

45453

147

2942

70

25

72

12

54284

5837

47362

153

3058

105

50

124

48

56737

11400

92815

300

6000

175

75

196

60

111021

16438

90906

459

8826

0

0

116629

17762

94724

441

9174

0

0

122101

34200

185630

900

18000

0

0

238730

45600

278445

1200

24000

175

75

196

60

349751

TargetGroup

Sourceof Funds

Total numberof sessions

Total number of beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries Care givers

Males Females Males FemalesTotal directbeneficiaries

Total Caregivers

TotalBeneficiaries

Table 7: Scouts and Youth were trained on MRE and delivered training sessions

Table 8: MRE interventions reached the following people

governorates

Akkar

North

Bekaa

Baalbak/Hermel

Beirut

Mount Lebanon

South

Nabatiyeh

300

600

600

1050

450

1350

600

3375

3375

300

420

450

210

150

320

1125

1125

10542

15814

17678

11786

8000

13139

7856

8000

13

20

22

14

21

26

31

28

40

40

40

11495

16854

19200

12460

9521

14385

12427

12568

beneficiariesTarget Group

Directbeneficiaries

Directbeneficiaries

Directbeneficiaries

Directbeneficiaries

Directbeneficiaries

Directbeneficiaries

Directbeneficiaries

Directbeneficiaries

Scouts Youth NGOs Students Teachers MoSAs

Total 45600 1200 16400 278445 175 120 341940

Total



27

2. Commemoration of the 4th of AprilWith the slogan #TogetherAgainstMines and in collaboration withthe national MRE steering committee members, LMAC launched acampaign for the commemoration of April 4, 2017 with a series ofawareness events. April 2017’s campaign was particularly marked by

a range of sporting events using funinteractive tools promoting safety measurestargeting the community and the LMAC’spartners.

160 new and 280experienced MRE activistshave been trained.

Large Number ofawareness materials wasdistributed during thecampaign andthroughout the year.

256 social workers havebeen trained all over thecountry.

#Together_Against_Mines campaign, along withother round year activities, have reached people all

over the country AMPAIGN

CONTACT US:Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC)

Chukri Ghanem Casern, Fayadieh, Damascus Road +961 5 956143 | [email protected]

www.lebmac.org

> Regional School for Humanitarian Demining inLebanon (RSHDL)

Located in Hammana Casern, Mount Lebanon, RSHDL aims tosupport the neighboring countries affected by mines and explosiveremnants of war (ERW) through facilitating the exchange ofexperiences, training military and civilian attendees and by actingas a repository for the available Arabic language resources andresearch papers related to mine action. It launched its first coursein October 2017. The pedagogical program was developed by theGovernment of France. The establishment of the school wassupported by France, EU, UNDP, Blom Bank and Jammal Trust Bank.

> Arab Regional Cooperation Programme (ARCP)

The GICHD initiated this program in 2012 to support the Arabcountries affected by landmines and ERW in increasing security forcivilian populations, promoting socio-economic development andmeeting national targets and international obligations for clearance. The GICHD handed-over the management of this program to LMACat the beginning of 2016 according to the memorandum ofunderstanding signed between the two parties. The LMAC is theresponsible entity for the administration of the ARCP. LMAC plans,manages, coordinates and implements the ARCP’s activities withsupport of the GICHD.

> International Cooperation

Lebanon continues to make every possible effort to mobilize funds,enabling it to meet its strategic milestones and its national andinternational obligations. LMAC is grateful for donations fromnumerous countries and organizations.


1998-2018

5/2/18 3:37 PM Page 1

25,000 brochures have been distributed.

3,000,000 SMSmessages havebeen sent.

600 school teachers regularlyintegrate MRE in their healtheducation activities

20 TV shots and Radiointerviews have been taken

20 Local and internationalchannels covered the events

20 awareness bannershave been hanging up.

200 Scout members have been trained to include MREmessages in their activities

WHAT LMAC DOES

LMAC manages mine action activities (Demining, Mine Risk Education

(MRE), Victim Assistance (VA), Advocacy) in Lebanon, ensur

es the

provision of administrative and logistical support to facilitate the

work

of all mine action organizations working in Lebanon in acco

rdance with

national and international mine action standards (N

MAS and IMAS,

respectively). In addition LMAC:

• Tasks Demining Teams

• Ensures Quality Assurance and Quality Control

• Chairs two National Steering Committees on Mine Risk Education

and Mine Victim Assistance

• Manages database using IMSMA software

• Mobilizes resources

• Cooperates and provides technical assistance

to countries

affected by unexploded ordnances (UXOs)

> Operations

The main purpose of the LMAC Operations Department is to conduct all

clearance and post-clearance operations includi

ng non-technical and

technical surveys. The department has the following clearance assets:

• Manual teams: Battle Area Clearance (BAC) and Mine Clearance

(MC) teams• Mechanical teams

• Mine Detection Dogs (MDD)

> Mine Victim Assistance (MVA)

The specific objective of MVA section at LMAC is to provide

mine/cluster bomb/UXO victims with medical, social, psychological

and economic assistance, enabling them to realize their rights t

o

re-integrate in the society. LMAC and the National Stee

ring Committee

on Mine Victim Assistance also work to ensure that the victims are

informed about their rights and benefits, which they are entitled to

receive. LMAC commemorates every year the International Day for

Disability on the 3rd of December.

> Administration/Logistics

The Admin/Log Department is responsible for personnel, logistics and

finance. Its responsibilities include the following:

• Updating the Lebanese Mine Action Programme data (human

resources, financial and logistics)

• Monitoring the companies and NGOs' explosives inventory

• Supporting companies and NGO employees (national and

expatriates) with all administrative paperwork (visas, residence

permits, security clearances, identification cards, l

icense to

transport explosives and to use wireless networks).

> Regional Mine Action Center – NABATIEH

(RMAC-N)

Based in Issam Chamoun Casern, Nabatiyeh, Southern Lebanon,

RMAC-N manages, plans and supervises all demining operations

activities in the South of Lebanon, West Bekaa and Chouf are

as.

Under the guidance of LMAC, RMAC-N ensures that the o

perational

procedures for demining are conducted in accordance with National

and International Mine Action Standards.

WHO WE AREThe Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC) is a part

of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). It manages,

executes and coordinates the Lebanese Natio

nal Mine

Action Program (LNMAP) on behalf of Lebanon Mine Action

Authority (LMAA).

Based at the Chukri Ghanem Casern in Fayadieh- Leba

non, LMAC works

to reduce the impact of mines, cluster munitions and other explosive

hazards. LMAC partners with international and national mine action

organizations, commercial companies and UN agencies.

> Quality Assurance/Quality Control

The Quality Assurance/Quality Control Department is responsible

for: (1) accreditations of organizations; (2) t

raining; (3) quality

control of mine clearance, to ensure effective, safe, and

time

efficient process in accordance with IMAS, NMAS and the

organizational SOPs. The process of accreditation and re-

accreditation of organizations involves desk asse

ssment, operational

accreditation, on-site assessment and monitoring.

> Information Management (IM)

The aim of the IM Department is to manage the information

technology and maintain the database of the National Mine Action

Program at LMAC. Since 2014 a new generation of the IMSMA software

has been fully operational at LMAC to enhance the ava

ilability of

information for clearance related development planning. This has

been done in cooperation with Geneva Internation

al Centre for

Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).

> Mine Risk Education (MRE)

While ensuring the success and sustainability of awareness programs, the

National Steering Committee on Mine Risk Education and LMAC work to

increase the capacity of local communities.

MRE campaigns use targeted materials and approaches to reach the

largest number of schools, farmers and the general population. LMAC

commemorates every year the International Day for Mine Awareness

and Assistance in Mine Action on the 4th of April by launching nationa

l

MRE campaigns to renew public and media interest in the Humanitarian

Mine Action.

TRAINING

MRE

MVA

OPERATIONS

2017

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t

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. Solidarity Meeting at Ministry ofDefense:

Under the patronage of his Excellency theMinister of Defense a meeting was held at theMinistry of defense to commemorate the mineawareness day. The meeting was attended bythe Minister of Information the Representative ofthe General Commander of the Army, LMAC`sdirector and staff, MRE and MVA steeringcommittee members and representatives of theEuropean Union UNDP, UNICEF, UNMAS, JamalTrust Bank, BLOM Bank, MAG, NPA, DCA andother local and international NGOs. The meetingemphasizes the importance of promotingbehavioral change among communitiesregarding mine prevention during April mine riskawareness campaign. Moreover, a short briefingon the Lebanon Mine Action Center “LMAC”including a short film. The event was covered byNational and Regional Media.

. Mine Awareness day in different governorates (schools andcommunities):

In the context of the cooperation between LMAC, UNIFIL and UNMASand in coordination with the MRE steering committee and relevantMunicipalities several mine awareness days were organized to informabout the threats of mines and best practices to follow whenapproaching suspicious bodies: The workshops included:

. Mines safety briefing by the Lebanon Mine Action Centerincluding virtual mine fields, mines detection and samples ofmines and cluster bombs;. Puppet show presented by the Mine Advisory Group (MAG),“Snakes and Mines” games and informative posters andbanners.. Presentation by UNIFIL on how to detect mines with dogs androbots.. A competition for students to determine the level ofawareness about the mines and their dangers followed bydistribution of awards and medals to all students by the LMACand UNMAS



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. Rally Paper Race:LMAC in coordination with the MRE steeringcommittee and the Balamand Universityorganized a Rally Paper race joining studentsfrom 22 different private and public schoolsin the area. More than 400 students between6 and 14 years old gathered at an extremesports stadium, along with their teachers andschool administrators and expressed agenuine interest and enthusiasm toparticipate in the game and learn more aboutmine prevention. The game started by a shortMine prevention briefing provided by thehead of MRE department at LMAC then thecoordinator of the event at the BalamandUniversity explained the rules of the game

. Fun run marathon:Since the South of Lebanon includes the most highly contaminatedareas in the country, LMAC's partners organized a “Running againstmines” a marathon took place in the city of Jizzine a highlypopulated village located in the mid of the south. In addition to thematerials distributed (Tee shirts, Hats, awareness games) , severalteams conducted awareness sessions reaching out to all age groupsusing games and interactive materials. At the end of the event, acommemorative shield was offered to Jezzine Municipality assymbol of appreciation.

. Puppet show:To emphasize the importance of remembering the golden awareness rule“Don’t come close, Don’t touch, Report” A puppet show was delivered ina funny and humorous manner allowing children to enjoy their times andat the same time benefit from precious knowledge about mine prevention.


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3that involved questions about mines shapes,sizes, threats and means of prevention. Thestudents needed to answer the questionscorrectly in order get the letters. A vastnumber of students succeed in answeringthe questions correctly. At the end of theevent, medals of different shapes and typeshave been distributed by the Lebanon MineAction Center to the winners who exerted agreat effort to win the game.. Two Friendly Football Match played by

Mines survivors with students fromthe Lebanese University and a teamfrom the Lebanese Press SportsUnion:

Another sporting event is a friendly footballgame that took place between mine survivorsand Lebanese University and Lebanese PressSports Union. Such an activity allowed minesurvivors to share their experiences andmethods to overcome and surpass theirinjuries. A cup was provided to the minesurvivors` team as symbol of respect and love

. Bicycle ride event: More than 450 bicycles started a trip fromthe Public garden of Tyre city in southernLebanon passing through the costal Cornishreturning to the starting point. 483awareness puzzles games were given out toall the citizens in the streets .

3. Round year Activities2017 was marked by a remarkable coordination with UNMAS andUNIFIL in organizing mine awareness days in southern Lebanon UNIFILAreas of Operations. As usual, the LMAC head of MRE departmentprovided a short briefing to promote mine safe behavior amongpublic schools and conducted Questions and Answers contests tofurther involve students. Virtual mine fields have been displayeddesigned by the LMAC and UNIFIL. The minefields aimed to provide athorough explanation of the demining process using detection dogs,manual demining and robots. Prizes, cups and medals weredistributed to the participants by UNMAS.



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3.3 RAPID RESPONSEMines/ERW including cluster munitions andthus, contributed the direct exploitation ofcleared lands in social economic activities.The role of RR became more critical, after theend of the military operation on the north-eastern borders. Accordingly, the LMAC strivedto secure needed requirements enabling theassessment of explosive threats impactinghumanitarian responses in areas affected byterrorist groups.

Through its Rapid Response capacity, LMAC is uniquely positioned torapidly deploy experts and specialized equipment to mitigate threatsposed by mines and other ERW. The success of this humanitarianmission requires a coherent cooperation between the communitystakeholders (municipalities, local authority, community liaison officers,mine action NGOs as well as shepherds).Rapid response operations have also socio-economic benefits illustratedby the immediate and safe use of lands were UXO or other ERW arereported. During 2017, the effective and quick deployment of RR teamshave detected, neutralized and destroyed 101 different types of

3.2 MARKING OF HAZARDOUS AREAS obligations under: the ‘Convention on ClusterMunitions’ (CCM) Article 4.2; the ‘Conventionon Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use ofCertain Conventional Weapons Which May beDeemed to be Excessively Injurious or to haveIndiscriminate Effects’ (CCW) Article 5; and the1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,which is often abbreviated to the ‘Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty’ or the ‘OttawaConvention’. The LMAC elaborates on theseobligations in this set of additional standardsrelated to marking during deminingoperations.

Marking of hazards is a vital component of Humanitarian Mine Action(HMA) and ensures that on-site personnel, visitors, and communitymembers are alerted to potentially hazardous areas. To reduce risk tothe population and to persons working in HMA, the Lebanon Mine ActionCenter (LMAC) and Implementing Agencies (IAs) take all appropriatemeasures to ensure that Suspected Hazard Areas (SHAs) and ConfirmedHazard Areas (CHAs) are clearly marked in a way that shouldunambiguously differentiate between safe and hazardous areas. In general, hazardous area marking is placed by the team that isconducting survey or clearance operations. Whenever practicable,physical barriers are used to reduce the risk of unintentional entry tohazardous areas. This NMAS provides standards on the requirements of the marking usedto demarcate EO hazardous areas. In addition to being a nationalrequirement, marking hazardous areas helps Lebanon comply with its


OUTPUT 3:Victim assistance is provided based on rights and needs4

Message from LMAC MVASection Head:As we embarked on one anotherfruitful year of accomplishmentand achievements, LMAC movedforward with restless work to freemine victims from their pain, thispain that could not end without alltogether standing to fight for therights of victims and reintegratingthem into the society.



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Victim assistance is a core component of Mine Action and aims atmeeting the immediate and long term needs of Mine/ERW victims, theirfamilies, mine affected communities and persons with disabilities.LMAC continuously strives to increase its capacities and capabilitiesin supporting mine victims. Cooperation between partners andstakeholders is crucial to ensure proper implementation and followup of assistance. LMAC’s MVA section head, leads the MVA steeringcommittee that includes several NGOs operating throughout Lebanonproviding assistance to mine victims their families and communities.As seen in the chart below, the year 2017 witnessed a sharp increase inthe number of casualties from 7 in 2016 to 28 in 2017 this was mostlydue to the recent anti-terrorist operations in the eastern borders and theSyrians displaced crisis. A trial update data has been initiated and fundingwas pledged to conduct a new survey of victims and a needs assessment

to have a better and updated view of existingneeds, services, gaps, and challenges.In 2017, IMSMA database includes records of3776 (total of victims over the years) withsegregation by age, sex, and cause of injury, newincidents starting taking place as of May 2017 inareas newly liberated by the FAJR ALJOROUDoperation of the Lebanese Armed forces.Referrals to victim assistance took place to allLebanese residents; Syrians refugees who havebeen victimized were served through programsexisting in the context of the humanitarianresponse to the Syrian crisis, and Lebanese wereserved through existing Lebanese systems.

4.1 LMAC MVA CAPACITY STRENGTHENED ANDCOORDINATION MECHANISM ESTABLISHED

0

5

10

15

20

25

Killed Injured

2016

2017

0

5

10

15

20

25

Killed Injured

2016

2017

0

5

10

15

20

25

Killed Injured

2016

2017

Figure 11: Increase in number of casualties from 2016 to 2017

4

1

3 3

5

2

3

1

2

1 1

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Injured

Killed

1

Figure 12: Segregation by date of incident


OUTPUT 3

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4

The distribution of casualties per gender andage shows that male adults are the mostaffected age group by the impact of mines.

These individuals are mainly active male providers that economicallysupport a family. These accidents caused drastic changes to their livesas well as major disruptions to their families’ daily life.

71%

29%

Figure 13: Percentage of mine/ERW casualties by nationality.

0%

23%

27%

50%

%

50%

0%

50%

60% 40% 20% 0% 20% 40% 60%

<12

12-18

19-30

>30

F emale % M ale %

Figure 14: Percentage by age population in 2017

4.2 QUALITY VICTIM ASSISTANCE .Income Generating Projects

Socio-economic inclusion is essential inpromoting self-sufficiency, independence,enhanced self-esteem and a sense of dignityfor mine victims. The lack of economicopportunities is a particular challenge forcountries affected by mines. The mainpriority for many mine survivors and familiesof victims is defining ways to be productive

community members. Accordingly, it is crucial to improve theeconomic status of survivors, their families and affectedcommunities. LMAC’s MVA Activities in 2017 included vocationaltraining and income generating opportunities. As such, LMAC incoordination with the MVA steering committee developed aprogram motivating mine victims to reintegrate into economic lifeand enabling them to become independent members of society.This initiatives were funded by the EU (86%) and MLI (14%).

Lebanese Syrian



35

1. Income generation projects funded by EU:Under the supervision of the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC), theUniversity of Balamand (UOB), and the “National Rehabilitation andDevelopment Center” (NRDC) conducted a three day training (3-5February 2017), building the capacity of 12 Lebanese mine victims onpoultry raising. Based on their newly acquired skills, the participantsdeveloped and submitted relevant project proposals which wereevaluated by MVA steering Committee. Based on which the winners received their grants during a ceremony held on 28 March 2017 at theUniversity of Balamand in the presence of LMAC director, LMAC MVAhead Section, the US Embassy to Lebanon and the MVA NationalSteering Committee. Moreover, NGOs of the MVA National Steering Committee providedsupport for victims including subsidies to school fees (e.g. 89 survivors -Al-JARHA), subsidies to social reintegration initiatives (e.g. 287 survivors- Al-JARHA), vocational training (e.g. 35 survivors - Al-JARHA), and loansto initiate businesses (e.g. 10 survivors - Al-JARHA). In addition, theNRDC facilitated inclusive education for approximately 80 disabledchildren in 2017

2. Income generating project trainings funded by MLI:In January 2017, MLI supported LMAC to execute three incomegenerating projects; first one was held in Bekaata-Chouf for a period often days and the second and third one were conducted in Azour-Jezzinefor a period of 5 days. The attendees were survivors and the sessions havebeen classified as per the below:

The participants prepared their proposals for income generation projectswhere the MVA national steering committee and the participantstogether evaluated the proposals and selected the winners. Thenumbers of grant winners are classified by categories of projects:

• Eight winners have been selected for beekeeping topic from Jezzineworkshop.

• Five winners have been selected for poultry topic from Jezzineworkshop.

• Two winners have been selected for beekeeping topic from Choufworkshop

3. BLOM Bank Grants:New activity for the mine victim assistance with support from BLOM Banktook place on October 2017 aimed to provide the victims a grant amountof 5000$ as an assistance to start-up their new business. A case study wasconducted for many victims after submitting a Project Proposaldescribing the aim of their project to benefit from the grant; afterevaluating the proposals five victims were chosen based on their socio-economic needs.

PlaceNRDCCooperative ofVictims of War

TypeBeekeepingBeekeepingPoultry Production

Participants 16108

Date13-23/1/201723-27/1/201723-27/1/2017

AreaBekaata – ChoufAzour – JezzineAzour – Jezzine

Table 9: Income Generating Project Trainings by Area/Date/Participants/Type/Place

2017

| Ann

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ort


Type of MedicalAssistance

Number of victimsfunded by EU

15

15Number of victimsfunded by MLI

New Prosthesis

15

15

Repair devices

15

15

Assistive devices

OUTPUT 3

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4. Physical Rehabilitation and

Reintegration:Physical rehabilitation was provided to survivorshelping them to regain or improve mobility andindependence in daily activities as the primarygoal, including provision of services forphysiotherapy and supply, maintenance andtraining in the use of assistive devices such asprostheses, walking aids and wheelchairs

On a national level, the National steeringcommittee reported providing under the

1. Prosthetic Devices:The European Union (EU) and the Marshal Legacy Institute (MLI) are oneof the leading organizations that strive to empower the life of victimswith disabilities through installing new prosthetic devices andmaintaining previously installed ones in great condition free of charge.In the year 2017, many victims benefited from prosthetic services fundedby EU and MLI.

2. Prosthetic and Orthotics WorkshopOn the 9th of November 2017, a workshopentitled “Prosthetic and Orthotics devices newstandards and prices” was organized by LMACin cooperation with UoB and ICRC. This eventwas attended by representatives fromdifferent concerned syndicates and ministries. LMAC Director and ICRC Health Coordinatorstressed on the importance of subsequentmeetings to improve the quality of prostheticsand physical rehabilitation services for victims,highlighting the need to standardizetreatment and modifying prices in harmonywith new developments and newtechnologies. In addition, they recommendedfurther cooperation to develop an action planto achieve the workshop’s recommendationsin the near future.

3. Psychological and Psychosocial SupportIn 2017, eight psychosocial support interventionswere executed to mothers of children withdisabilities. Interactive sessions on mental health,with appropriate adaptation per cohort weredelivered to participants. The Psychosocial SupportProgram was implemented in the following form:

• Main training, delivered to participants, through a session thattakes up to 5 hours and that serves as an introduction to mentalhealth including a one-on-one primary assessment (using theSymptoms Check List (SCL).

• Five follow-up sessions, each session taking around 2 hours, andimplemented over a period of five weeks.

NSC

Al-JarhaAl-Ru’ya TamkeenNRDCLWAH

432510-24

43----

27---15

92595060087527

Newprosthesis

Repair Assistive devices Physiotherapy

supervision of the LMAC the following assistance as per the tablebelow:

Table 10: Prosthetic Devices by Fund Source

Table 11: Prosthetic Devices by NGO



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LMAC in cooperation with the National Steering Committee organizeda conference mimicking an actual parliamentary session to advocate theimplementation of the law ensuring the rights for people with disabilities(220/2000). This was a particularly innovative event since the 128Members of Parliament were replaced by 128 Mine Victims survivors forone session pleading for their rights to have better access to education,health and infrastructure among other rights. Members of parliament,representatives of ministries and representatives of the EU and UNDPwere seated in the government section listening to the survivors’ needsand requests. The LMAC director, the EU representative and the UNDP country directorstressed on the crucial necessity to issue implementation decrees in allministries as soon as possible to ensure enhanced inclusion in societyand better living conditions for people with disabilities.The event witnessed a remarkably high level of participation. Many victimsvoiced their concerns about their rights of equality, participation, accessibility,employment, education, social protection and health. Victims also stressedon the challenges they face, hoping that the eventual application of the lawwould enable them to live a dignified life, improve their rights and realizetheir dreams and aspirations. In addition, they highlighted the need ofdisabled people to receive more consideration and support enabling themto be in integral part of society. They also shed the light on the importanceof prioritizing this issue to be integrated in related events’ agendas.

4.3 MINE VICTIMS’ RIGHTS ADVOCACY

IN 2017, MINE ACTIONPROGRAM IN LEBANONCONTINUED TOSUPPORT THEENFORCEMENT OF THEDISABLED LAW INLEBANON (220/2000)AND CONTINUED TOCELEBRATE THEINTERNATIONALDISABLED DAY.


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Challenges5

North east border The military operations (FAJER EL JOUROUD)led by the LAF against terrorist organisms in theNorth-Eastern Borders have left thousands ofImprovised Explosives Devices threatening thelife of residents in surrounding communities.The Humanitarian Mine Action operations, forthis particular region, were handed over toLMAC during the last quarter of 2017. During the fourth quarter of 2017, LMACconducted along with the clearance operators,site visits of the North-Eastern borders forreconnaissance purposes. The HumanitarianMine Action (HMA) operation plan for the areais in the phase of development. NTS phase issupposed to be initiated during spring of 2018,when the weather conditions becomefavorable. The new DAs that will be recorded

will affect the national baseline of contaminated areas and thus willincrease the threat on surrounding impacted communities.

Clearance capacity The decrease in the number of clearance teams due to the decreasingfunding, hindered the operation’s productivity and thus affected thecompliance of Lebanon to international deadlines.This challenge affects the pace of the demining operations and thusthreatens the ability of Lebanon to meet its national and internationalcommitments. Therefore, LMAC struggles to seek national andinternational financial support in order to increase and sustain thenumber of operating teams.

The Syrian crisisAs Lebanon welcomed more displaced Syrians their sheer number over1 million in a small country directly translates into considerable morerisks. The percentage of victims among Syrian displaced has beenelaborate in the MVA section



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Future Steps6

LMAC vision emphasizes on continuous evaluations and improvements.Accordingly, following the Lebanon Mine Action Strategy SecondMilestone Review 2014-2016 in 2017, LMAC will engage in several formsof operational evaluation to improve efficacy, efficiency and to betterserve its humanitarian cause including an IT assessment which willenable LMAC to be up to date on reporting and the development ofdashboards, a technical assessment to define the needs forimprovement in the different sections and a soft skills assessment toenhance communication, management, and reporting skills of officers.LMAC will monitor and supervise the launching of the non –technicaland technical survey in the north-eastern border. This initiative will helpoutline the contaminated area enabling the center to define the needsin terms of technical survey operations and ultimately clearance.Meanwhile, the clearance operations will carry on in the rest of Lebanon. In this context, the new NMAS will be applied on the field as of the secondquarter of 2018. LMAC will evaluate the application of the new NMAS forpotential changes in the second quarter.Besides the USD 9 million allocated each year for LMAC, the center willlaunch in 2018 the procurement process for cluster munitions clearancefor USD 7.5 million, a portion of the 50 billion Lebanese pounds (USD 33million), allocated by the government as a sign of strong commitmentto the cause. The ARCP program and the RSHDL plan to enhance operations and tocoordinate further with other Arab countries enabling them to benefitfrom the extensive experience LMAC has. In terms of intensifyingcooperation and aggregating support, the Norwegian Ambassadorlaunched an initiative under the country coalition framework, based onthe decision of the regional seminar on the Country Coalition Concept

in Croatia in 2017, which proposes acustomized support for countries affected bycluster munitions. This initiative is expected toconsolidate and coordinate the efforts of allstakeholders in a complementary mannerwhile addressing the concerns and obstacles. The MRE section will continue to engage ininnovative and creative ideas to raiseawareness on the dangers and risks of minesand ERW. In addition, the scope of MRE willexpand to comprise the newly contaminatedareas in the north-eastern border. Moreover,the LMAC will exert every possible effort toensure the integration of MRE in the publiceducation curriculum at the Lebanese ministryof education and higher education in additionthe engagement of the ministry of publichealth in the MRE national efforts.The MVA section will support and monitor theproper implementation of projects for thebenefit of victims their family and thecommunity affected. The MVA section willadvocate for the development and issuance ofimplementation decrees for the application ofthe law 220/2000 ensuring people withdisability better access to education healthservices access to public building and spacesand economic opportunities.


6/11/18 5:29 PM

Lebanon Mine Action CenterChekri Ghanem Casern, Damascus Road, Fiyadiyeh, Lebanon

Tel: +961 5 956143, Fax:+961 5 956192, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.lebmac.org

This Programme is funded by the European Unionand supported by the UNDP

ANNUALREPORT2017


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