Demining in March: First thousand hectares under compensation programme and new funding opportunities

In March, demining operators returned over 430 hectares of land to farmers participating in the state compensation programme for demining agricultural land. Since the programme’s launch, farmers have reclaimed more than 1,100 hectares of cleared land.

“Demining operators are actively working to clear territories under signed agreements. The first thousand hectares of cleared land and the active participation of farmers in the programme demonstrate its effectiveness and tangible results,” said Deputy Minister of Economy Ihor Bezkaravainyi.

According to the Deputy Minister, last month the Centre for Humanitarian Demining held 11 auctions based on this year’s applications, covering plots with a total area of over 3,800 hectares. Additionally, in March, the Centre signed three new contracts for demining work.

According to Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Ukraine and its partners are continuing efforts to enhance operators’ capabilities and expand funding opportunities for demining.

In particular, the National Mine Action Authority endorsed a decision to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies in demining activities. The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defence will develop the necessary regulatory framework to implement these innovations.

The Government adopted a significant decision allowing funds collected through the UNITED24 platform into the Ministry of Economy’s account to be used for paying for humanitarian demining services. This provides an additional tool for financing operations and opens up opportunities for faster land clearance.

In March, Ukraine’s partners proposed new funding approaches, allocating funds directly for demining for the first time. The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation announced a tender for land clearance in Ukraine’s frontline regions. Winners of the tender (Italian non-profit organisations) can involve Ukrainian operators in implementing these grant projects.