iMMAP-Mine Action Joint Operations Room Site Visit to the Gray Area-Nineveh Province

The Gray area mine action Joint Operations Room (JOR) team composed of Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Authority (IKMAA) in Erbil, Directorate of Mine Action Iraq (DMA) in Baghdad and iMMAP visited Mine Advisory Group (MAG) clearance team in the Nineveh province on 28 July 2016. The Gray area refers to areas recently retaken from ISIL which at the present time are under the shared humanitarian mine action responsibility of both Erbil (IKMAA) and Bagdad (DMA)  

The overall objective of the JOR team site visit was to monitor MAG’s IED clearance activities in the Gray area as an active operator, with respect to site clearance currently carried out from their local operations base. The IED clearance facilitates the return of IDPs as the areas are highly contaminated with explosive devices preventing the safe returns of the IPDs.

Such visits are conducted on scheduled basis throughout the Gray area to monitor and evaluate the activities of the mine action operators. Experiences and lessons learnt are shared with the JOR team. Additionally information management staff provide direct technical advice to field staff during the site visit to enhance the quality of reporting.

Finally, findings are recorded and recommendations made to enrich the mine action operations and to formulate priories that are aligned with those of national authorities.