UNMAS Annual Report 2021

For twenty-five years, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has helped reduce the impact of explosive ordnance contamination on communities worldwide. The 2021 annual report highlights UNMAS activities, achievements, funding and expenditures. But in a larger sense, it tells the story of advancing fundamental building blocks of peace and security. Around the globe, mine action has opened roads, ensured more children can safely attend school and provided increased access to water sources, farmland, markets and health facilities. These efforts have also allowed more displaced civilians to return home free of the fear of explosive threats, facilitated the safe delivery of lifesaving humanitarian relief, and created a safer environment for peacekeepers. Despite this progress, needs continue to grow. In Afghanistan, vast tracts of contaminated land have only recently been made accessible to mine action teams. In Ethiopia and Myanmar, conflict is not only adding to contamination, but forcing fleeing civilians to navigate land littered with explosive remnants of war. The war in Ukraine has seen the use of enormous amounts of ordnance, including in populated urban areas, which will require mine action for decades to come. The increased use of Improvised Explosive Devices is also having greater impact on civilians and peacekeepers - as recognized by the Security Council and the General Assembly. As this report makes clear, mine action makes a real difference in the lives of people and communities.