Project profile — Landmine Action in Colombia

• Colombia (100.00%)

• Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution:
Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution (15220) (10.00%)
Reintegration and SALW control (15240) (10.00%)
Removal of land mines and explosive remnants of war (15250) (80.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)

After more than fifty years of internal armed conflict, Colombia is the second most landmine affected nation in the world. This project will conduct humanitarian demining activities in ten mine-affected municipalities. It will recruit, train and deploy civilian landmine survey and manual clearance teams from local communities, including ex-combatants. By surveying vulnerable communities and removing landmines in targeted municipalities, the project will prevent further accidents; identify safe areas for land restitution; enable the return of internally displaced persons; and restore access to farmland, public services, and safe routes to markets and schools. The project will benefit over 27,000 people living in some of Colombia’s poorest rural municipalities. It will also create safe conditions for 60,000 displaced persons to return home safely.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) reduced vulnerability to landmine accidents; (2) improved access to land for local residents and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs); and (3) improved access to economic opportunities for local communities and ex-combatants, particularly women.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (November 2022) include: (1) clearance work conducted directly benefitted 1,263 persons (570 women and girls) and indirectly benefited 5,345 persons (2,591 women and girls); (2) of the staff employed and trained, 55% are victims of the conflict and 35% are women; (3) increased land available for economic activities and for the return of internally the displaced population; (4) decreased accidents from landmines mostly affecting vulnerable populations; (5) cleared 272,156 square meters of contaminated land; (6) cleared 120 minefields and handed over 90 to local communities; (7) declared 313 villages as free from contamination and five municipalities as landmine free; and (8) constant involvement of victims of the conflict and former combatants towards community reconstruction. The COVID-19 pandemic highly impacted Colombia, which led to mobility restrictions, a protracted lockdown and related security issues. Although this slowed some project activities, HALO Trust was nevertheless able to make progress, as demonstrated in the achievements described above.

• Proactive disclosure