United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), which had earlier been operated through the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), has moved under the United Nations Country Team since 1 January 2009. The UN Mine Action Team is comprised of 14 UN agencies, chaired by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), and has been solely a policy-making body until now.
UNICEF and UNMAS aims to provide training to develop expertise among the Nepalese security agencies within the next two to three years. This is expected to help Nepal government in addressing the issue of residual explosive remnants contamination with minimal UN support.
The Maoist army worked with UNMIN mine action and IED experts, who advised them on how to safely store IEDs and how to monitor their condition. The Unit has completed the destruction of all improvised explosive devices at Maoist army cantonment sites. Over 7,250 kilograms of explosive items including 14,682 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed at nine locations.
The Nepal Army has also been working with the Mine Action Unit to develop a national mine clearance capacity, so that the 53 anti-personnel minefields laid by the Nepal Army during the civil conflict can be cleared, as required by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. To date 80 personnel of the Nepal Army Directorate of Engineers have been trained in humanitarian mine clearance, in accordance with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), five minefields have been fully cleared, two partially cleared, and a further two are close to completion.
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