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Humanitarian Mine Action

Linking Humanitarian Mine Action and Food Security

© Folkekirkens Nødhjælp

Mine clearance in a congolese field.

The consequences of the successive armed conflicts that have shaken the Congo since 1996 are wide and deep. All social and productive sectors have been seriously damaged and the country is currently in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis. The agricultural sector is not an exception and most provinces are currently facing problems of food shortage and access. In many regions farms have been rampaged, agricultural machinery vandalized, and the livestock population almost entirely decimated. In addition, large areas of fertile agricultural land are now polluted with mines and explosive remnants of war, which poses a serious threat to the limbs and lives of an already war-affected and returning population.

Mines block access to infrastructure, agricultural land and natural resources, which inevitably lead to decreased access to food stuff. On the other hand, lack of food and hunger lead people to risky behaviour, as desperation might lead people to unsafe behaviour, i.e. accessing known mined areas in search for food, which may again eventually lead to mine accidents and disability or death.

From minefield to cornfield

In order to adequately respond to the needs of the local population, the Humanitarian Mine Action programme of DCA is concentrating on clearing agricultural land and farmers have been among its direct and primary beneficiaries since the beginning of operations in 2005.

The outcomes of Humanitarian Mine Action should therefore not merely be measured by its immediate results (numbers of mines recovered or square meters released). In order to fully appreciate the efforts of demining operators, it is also important to acknowledge the socio-economic context and long term impact of mine clearance activities.

In order to consolidate the lasting effects of its presence in the Congo, DCA is currently strengthening the harmonization between its Humanitarian Mine Action and Food Security programmes in common areas of intervention. The idea is for one programme to replace the other as dangerous areas are gradually being cleared and made available for farming.

Good results are already being obtained in Nyunzu territory in Katanga province where long-term Food Security development projects are now being implemented in areas that were previously polluted by mines and explosive remnants of war. This increasingly integrated approach is expected to respond more adequately to the needs and challenges of the ongoing and steady transition from emergency relief towards long-term development assistance in the Congo.