Minefields block Iraq's future

REMOVING landmines and unexploded bombs from Iraqi lands is not the sole responsibility of international NGOs and donor countries.

Iraq’s rulers have come to realise in recent years that foreign investment through companies, as well as development on the back of oil exploration, will not go ahead unless regions are cleared of the lethal devices.

In Kurdistan, northern Iraq, state agencies are also educating children and communities about the dangers of landmine fields.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) co-ordinates efforts with groups like MAG and says the northern region is now becoming safer.

However, IKMAA’ s director of implementation Owenan Yousif admits a lot of work still needs to be done.

“It’s still one of the most contaminated regions in the world. There are still a lot of minefields to be cleared.

“The fatality numbers have gone down from a few hundred to just a few now every year thanks to the work of NGOs.

“Minefields are blocking future roads, power lines and schools. We are in the process of rebuilding this country of ours.”

Picture: A protected MAG worker keeps watch over machinery sieving through rocks in an effort to find for unexploded bombs in Chamchamal, north Iraq. Pictures by Juno McEnroe/Canon images

* This series was carried out with the help of the Simon Cumbers Media Fund, supported by Irish Aid