Support to Mine Action Program for Afghanistan

Current phase: 2008-2011
Project budget: $42 million

This grant of up to $42 million to the Mine Action Program for Afghanistan (MAPA), channelled through the United Nations Mine Action Service, supports the Government of Afghanistan in its efforts to make Afghanistan a mine- and explosive-remnants-of-war-free country. CIDA funding supports the five elements of MAPA's work, which are: transition to national ownership, demining operations, mine risk education, victim assistance, and support to capacity development.

Progress to date:

Canada’s contribution has helped enable the following:

• Two-thirds of all suspected areas discovered to date have been cleared. This includes all known contamination within urban areas.
• More than 390,000 mines and 8.6 million pieces of explosive remnants of war have been destroyed.
• The average monthly number of victims has declined by more than 50 percent since 2001.
• More than 150,000 people have received mine risk education.

The most important improvement is in stabilizing the environment and allowing for development to take root. Since 1989, almost 1.3 billion m² of land have been released to communities as a result of clearance and survey. That land is now available for Afghans to use for productive purposes.