There is a minefield about 150m away
In the northern half of Mozambique all known minefields have been cleared - a total of 552 minefields containing 100,843 mines.
HALO has concluded 14 years of mineclearance (as the sole operator for the majority of that time) with a survey of every community in order to confirm that there are no known minefields remaining.
In the central and southern half of Mozambique a mines problem still exists. In 2007, HALO was asked to conduct a Baseline Assessment of the situation. This was completed in October 2007. The findings showed 487 confirmed minefields remaining and large minefields in the Cahora Bassa Dam area and on the border with Zimbabwe. This is despite mineclearance expenditure considerably in excess of that in the North. Further survey work by HALO since 2007 has taken the total to 520 minefields.
The scale and impact of the mines problem is high – this is NOT a residual, minor threat. It is a major development and human security problem that needs a professional, efficient and timely solution.
A measure of the seriousness of the problem is that since starting clearance in the South in late 2007, HALO has found and destroyed 4,548 landmines, all from minefields that were on potentially productive land that people want to use, close to their houses. This scenario is repeated across the Centre and South of Mozambique.
During survey operations and now clearance work, HALO hears the same story from local people – angst and real irritation because the minefields they live next to have still not been cleared.