German Envoy visits de-mining agencies in Kilinochchi

Appreciates Govt. decision to accede Ottawa Convention

Germany fully supports Sri Lanka to be a mine-impact free country by 2020 and also appreciates very much the Sri Lankan Government’s 2017 decision to accede to the Ottawa Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention, a statement from the German Embassy said.

German Ambassador Jörn Rohde recently visited the de-mining sites of ‘The HALO Trust’ and ‘DASH’ (Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony), who is the local implementing partner of ‘MAG’ (Mines Advisory Group) in Kilinochchi. The aforementioned two nongovernmental organisations HALO and MAG received a total sum of four million Euros (approx. LKR 800mn) by the German Federal Foreign Office for de-mining in affected areas of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Each organisation received two million Euros to carry out their humanitarian mine clearance activities.

The HALO trust, one of the largest international mine action operators in the country, will use two million Euros by the German Foreign Office for the project titled “Humanitarian Mine Clearance in Northern Sri Lanka” over the course of two years in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu. MAG which has been active in Sri Lanka since 2002 to help destroy land mines, cluster munitions and unexploded ordnance will utilise the funds of two million Euros to focus on both Northern and Eastern Provinces in the areas of Mannar, Trincomalee, Killinochchi and Mulaithivu.

During Ambassador Rohde’s visit to the sites of HALO and DASH in Muhumalai, he was briefed on the tedious and delicate procedures followed by the teams in both organisations in their de-mining efforts and also about the developments of the de-mining project. While navigating the minefield, he experienced manual and mechanical de-mining in action which is mainly carried out by female de-miners.

Ambassador Rohde said “I am very impressed by the dedication and willingness of all actors to make Sri Lanka a mine-free region very soon. Our substantial financial contribution reflects Germany’s long standing global commitment in this regard”.

The Ambassador also seized the opportunity to hold meetings with residents and IDP (internally displaced persons) returnees who were newly resettled in Kilinochchi where the de-mining projects are currently under way to improve the security and livelihoods of people in those areas. The Ambassador was pleased to witness the progress of the projects benefiting the local community which provided immediate safety measures to families which was vital for sustainable resettlement, livelihood and other socio-economic development.

The Ambassador was pleased to witness the progress of the projects benefiting the local community