Explosive Remnants of War provide Employment Opportunities for Afghans

Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Mines were first used in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation (1979-1989) and have led to the death of over 70,000 Afghans in the past two decades. 90% of these mines are spread across arable land, grazing grounds and irrigation systems. The existence of these mines, a large part of which are unexploded devices, are a threat to the IDPs who are returning home and also negatively impact the agricultural output of Afghanistan. Since October 2001, American warplanes have dropped thousands of bombs on Taliban front lines, including “cluster bombs,” in which nearly 10 percent of the scattered bomblets have not exploded. The unexploded bomblets are an additional risk to the lives of the common people. In 2008 landmines and other Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) killed or injured over 445 Afghans, an average of 37 per month. Thanks to NGO efforts the ERWs have now turned into a means of livelihood for many Afghan men. OMAR (Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation) has initiated a community based demining program in the Kunar district of Afghanistan.

The Kunar project is a community-based initiative, which centers on the removal of landmines and other unexploded bombs that threaten the local population. The project is managed by a small core staff from the OMAR, based in Kabul. The United States Department of State has partnered with OMAR in this community-based demining initiative. Unlike most mine action projects in Afghanistan where trained deminers come from elsewhere to remove landmines and unexploded ordnance, community-based demining utilizes a local workforce that is recruited, trained, and employed by an Afghan NGO that oversees all aspects of the operation.Â
Community-based demining in Kunar furnishes jobs that keep young men employed, and perhaps most importantly, establishes trust with local leaders by removing one of the one of largest hidden killers in Afghanistan: ERW. What’s more, the project is not just outsiders coming in to conduct mine clearance; it is owned by the population, thereby reinforcing local governance and reducing insurgent influence.
When this community-based demining project ends, follow-on agricultural and vocational training as well as immediate development projects can commence, allowing locals to capitalize on their cleared land and an available labor force with new job skills. Since these demining projects are planned, coordinated, and run in conjunction with local tribal leadership from the beginning, community priorities are taken into account even before a project is initiated.

Along with running the mine clearance program OMAR is also responsible for spreading the message of mine awareness among the local population. In collaboration with a charity group No Strings, OMAR is working on an extensive tour of a new puppet production called CHUCHI- The Carpet Boy. This puppet show is designed to convey the landmine safety message to the Afghan children. Johnie MacGlade, one of the founders, explains that puppets are non-confrontational and therefore, children trust them more than they would an adult. By using an amusing story to illustrate what happens when a mine is picked up or disturbed, the audience remembers the message and hopefully it could save their life.

Employing 645 Afghan staff, OMAR has cleared millions of square metres of land using a combination of manual clearance teams, battle area clearance teams and mechanical support. The demining drive is not only making the lives of the Afghans more secure but is also giving them an opportunity to be directly involved in rebuilding their community and country.  Similar community based projects need to be replicated in other developmental projects for building a stable society and polity in Afghanistan.