5 November 2015: Seventeen Libyan participants successfully completed a three-week-long humanitarian emergency response training course for explosive ordnance disposal on 5 November 2015.

This humanitarian emergency response training course was intended to enhance the capacity of Libyan explosive ordnance disposal operators to conduct the safe and effective disposal of landmines and other unexploded ordnance in the field.

The three-week long course was specifically designed and tailored for the current Libyan context not only to improve participants’ theoretical knowledge on how to safely dispose of landmines and other explosive ordnance, but also to acquire practical skills on new techniques and procedures, whilst maintaining safety as a primary consideration.

One of the participants said that “until now, I had not fully appreciated that old unexploded ordnance that had remained on the ground for so many years still had such a great degree of danger.”

The course was made possible with the generous contribution from the Government of Japan, which fully supports the humanitarian emergency response programme.

As of today, there are 34 Libyan explosive ordnance disposal operators that have now received additional training through this UNMAS Libya programme.