After the end of hostilities, children naturally return to their favourite play areas. Making these areas safe not only helps prevent accidents, but also encourages children to play in safe spaces rather than venturing into areas that may still be contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war.

Spaces to rebuild social connections

Sports infrastructure plays a central role in community life. Once cleared and made safe, these spaces become strong symbols of a return to normality. They provide places for people to meet and help strengthen social cohesion, which is essential for rebuilding communities affected by conflict and laying the foundations for lasting peace.

Sport as a support for mental health

“War affects both physical and emotional landscapes, and its impacts are felt for years after. At its best, local sport can help heal these wounds.”
Sven Daniel Wolfe, Professor at the Institute of Geography, University of Neuchâtel, specialised in sport and conflicts environments.

Living in an environment affected by war can leave lasting impacts, including post-traumatic stress and anxiety. In these contexts, sport plays an important role in supporting mental health. It helps reduce stress, restore a sense of control, rebuild routines and encourage social interaction within a structured and safe environment.

In Ukraine, Iraq and elsewhere, FSD has contributed to reopening playgrounds and sports infrastructure. Being able to use these spaces again is not only a sign of a return to normal life, but also supports both individual and collective recovery.

A large-scale project in Ukraine

Building on this experience, FSD is currently exploring a project to support the clearance and rehabilitation of the Chernihiv Olympic Training and Sports Centre, which was heavily damaged by the conflict and may be contaminated by explosive remnants of war.

Rebuilding after war is a long and complex process for people returning home and trying to resume everyday life. While demining focuses first on life-saving priorities, making sports fields safe also matters. It means children have space to run again, young people can train side by side, and families and neighbours can gather at the edge of the field. It is also where everyday life gradually begins to return.

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Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action 

Geneva, 31 March 2026

The world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April, reaffirming the essential role mine action plays in securing peace, enabling recovery, and driving sustainable development. This year’s global theme, “Invest in Peace, Invest in Mine Action,” highlights a fundamental truth: peace cannot be sustained where landmines, cluster munition remnants, and other explosive ordnance continue to endanger civilians and obstruct humanitarian and development efforts. 

Across the globe, communities still live with the constant fear of explosive hazards. Peace is fragile when families cannot move safely, when essential services remain inaccessible, and when reconstruction is slowed by threats buried beneath the soil. Mine action offers a proven means of addressing these challenges by restoring safety, stability, and confidence. 

The international community has built a robust framework that has reshaped expectations around civilian protection. The Anti‑Personnel Mine Ban Convention set a clear and lasting standard by prohibiting weapons that cause indiscriminate and irreversible harm. The Convention on Cluster Munitions advanced this progress by banning munitions whose unexploded remnants continue to claim lives long after conflict ends. The Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas renewed global attention to the devastating impact of explosive weapons in urban settings, while the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons has long reinforced humanitarian limits on the use of weapons posing excessive risk to civilians. 

Together, these agreements form a powerful ecosystem that prevents new harm, addresses existing contamination, and strengthens global norms that prioritize civilian protection. 

Humanitarian mine action saves lives on a daily basis: Clearance operations return land to safe use for homes, agriculture, schools, and markets. Risk education helps communities reduce exposure to danger while contamination persists. Victim assistance ensures that survivors receive the care, inclusion, and support they deserve. Surveys and assessments allow humanitarian and development partners to reach affected populations effectively. These efforts do more than remove explosive devices—they enable mobility, livelihoods, dignity, and long‑term resilience. 

Despite rising contamination in many conflict-affected regions, the impact of sustained mine action is clear. Entire areas once considered unusable have reopened. More than 30 States have declared themselves mine free. Critical infrastructure has been restored. Displaced families have been able to return to their homes. Fields have been planted again, businesses revived, and schools reopened. These are not isolated achievements; they are the cumulative result of decades of cooperation among states, international and national organizations, and affected communities. 

But this progress is not guaranteed. Upholding the Anti‑Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and the EWIPA Declaration remains essential to preventing further harm and maintaining civilian protection as a universal norm. Any retreat from these commitments’ risks reversing hard‑won achievements and placing communities back in danger. 

On this international day, we the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD), Handicap International Switzerland, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), Swiss Mine Action Network (SMAN), the Mine-Ex Foundation, the World Without Mines Foundation, Global Clearance Solutions, APOPO, and the Digger Foundation call on governments, donors, and partners to reinforce support for mine action and to champion the international agreements that guide it. Investment in mine action is an investment in safer movement, renewed livelihoods, and resilient communities. It is an investment in peace itself.

Mine action works. It has proven its value in every setting where it has been applied. With sustained commitment and principled adherence to the global norms that prohibit indiscriminate weapons, we can continue to reduce civilian harm, support recovery, and help build a future where no one’s life is defined by the presence of explosive remnants of war. 

Quotes from organisations

“Mine Action saves lives and supports vulnerable communities every day. It enables the delivery of vital humanitarian aid, facilitates the safe return home of displaced populations, ensures peacekeepers can work safely, sets the conditions for long-term peace and security, and assists with sustainable economic and social development. Investment in Mine Action is an investment in peace, and an investment in the future.” Kazumi Ogawa, UNMAS Director.  

“Mine action restores more than land: it restores freedom, opportunity and the foundations for sustainable recovery in conflict-affected communities.” Shoko Noda, UNDP Crisis Bureau Director.

“Explosive ordnance continues to harm civilians long after conflicts fade from the headlines,” said Ambassador Tobias Privitelli, Director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). “Mine action is not only about removing weapons — it is about restoring safety, enabling recovery, and allowing communities to rebuild their futures with dignity.” 

“Removing a landmine doesn’t just save a life. It allows a displaced family to sleep in their own beds again, a farmer to harvest his first wheat crop in years, schoolchildren to kick a ball on cleared playgrounds, a hospital to keep vaccines refrigerated through restored power lines, aid workers to reach people in need safely… That’s the true multiplier of mine action.” Hansjörg Eberle, Director of the Foundation suisse de déminage (FSD).

“Mine Action involves not only survey and clearance of contaminated land, but also advocacy to ensure there is no more use of mines or cluster munitions. We strongly encourage States Parties to the Mine Ban Convention and the Cluster Munition Coalition to promote the safety of civilians worldwide by publicly defending these conventions and their norms, condemning any new use, production, or transfer by any actor, under any circumstances.” Tamar Gabelnick, Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

“The two treaties against mines and cluster bombs, and the political declaration against bombing and shelling in cities, are proof that determined mobilisation can change history. And they remind us today that, despite the legitimate security concerns of States, these prohibited weapons are neither a rational military response nor an acceptable option under humanitarian law.” Daniel Suda-Lang, Director of Handicap International Switzerland.  

“If mine action is about creating safe ground for societies to rebuild, Switzerland’s role is to create safe ground for cooperation — connecting actors, fostering innovation and ensuring that Swiss expertise translates into global impact.” Catherine André, President of the Swiss Mine Action Network (SMAN).

“At a time when international norms such as the Ottawa Convention are under growing pressure, sustained commitment to mine action is more important than ever. The International Day for Mine Awareness reminds us that the work is far from finished — especially in places that have faded from global attention, but where explosive hazards continue to shape daily life. This is where we work, alongside affected communities, to restore safety and create the conditions for lasting peace.” Rolf Stocker, Co-President of the Foundation Board of World Without Mines Foundation.

“Mine action is not only about removing threats – it is about how effectively we do it. Reaching people faster, working smarter in complex environments, and focusing efforts where they matter most can transform how quickly communities regain access to their land, their livelihoods, and their future.” Christophe Cox, CEO of APOPO.

“Mine action is the first step toward reconstruction. By combining advanced technology with operational expertise, we not only clear land, but enable infrastructure to be rebuilt, economies to recover, and communities to move forward safely and sustainably. This requires close collaboration between governments, industry, NGOs and international partners to deliver impact at the scale that is needed” Philipp von Michaelis, CEO of Global Clearance Solutions. 

“After the war, it is civilians who suffer the consequences for decades. Landmines have impacts that go far beyond physical harm—they also hinder the economic and social development of affected regions. The costs of demining and providing assistance to victims are extremely high and vastly disproportionate to the initial purchase price of the mines.” Reto Stump, President of the Mine-ex foundation.

Contact / photo and interview requests:

Alexandra Brutsch

Head of Communications

Email Phone

Our ongoing operations – March 2026

As of March 2026, more than 450 FSD staff members are actively engaged in the provinces of Chernihiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Poltava.

Twelve teams are currently conducting surveys of suspected hazardous areas, while thirty-three demining teams are focused on locating explosive devices in minefields and former battle zones. Specialised machinery is being used to prepare rural areas for clearance, and armoured construction vehicles assist in clearing rubble from structures damaged or destroyed by ordnance. The first mine detection dog team was deployed in mid-September 2025. In parallel, nine teams are delivering risk education in schools and villages, complemented by online sessions and digital campaigns across social media platforms.

From 2023 onwards, FSD has been providing logistical support and expertise to the explosive ordnance disposal teams of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and is currently strengthening their capacities in mechanical demining through training and the rehabilitation of a workshop for the repair, maintenance and modernisation of demining machines.

FSD also supports the local NGO Ukrainian Center for Humanitarian Protection (UCHP) in developing its operational and institutional capacities in mine action, with the aim of enabling it to independently conduct humanitarian demining operations in the future.

Map of FSD’s operations in Ukraine

Background of our operations in Ukraine

FSD began working in Ukraine in early 2015, focusing on the Donbas region along the line of contact between areas controlled by the Ukrainian government and those under separatist control. Our risk education teams initially launched emergency campaigns in schools and villages, teaching residents how to stay safe near landmines and unexploded ordnance. At the same time, survey teams assessed and mapped areas contaminated by explosive remnants of war.

In 2016, FSD started clearance operations, recruiting, training, and deploying around 50 local staff from an operational base in Sloviansk and Marioupol. Over the following years, our deminers surveyed dozens of former battlefields and identified hundreds of unexploded ordnance items. Simultaneously, FSD supported Ukrainian institutions in establishing a national mine action authority.

At the end of February 2022, as the armed conflict escalated, FSD temporarily suspended and reoriented its activities to allow staff to ensure the safety of their families and provide emergency humanitarian aid to communities affected by the conflict. By June 2022, the improved security situation enabled FSD to establish a new operational base in Chernihiv, followed by another in Kharkiv province in November, allowing the resumption of demining activities.

In 2023, FSD strengthened its operational capacities through the recruitment and training of staff, as well as the acquisition of equipment. Two satellite operations offices were opened in Donetsk province and in Kryvyi Rih to support the northeastern part of Kherson province.

Objectives for the next twelve months

• Expanding humanitarian reach: In 2026, FSD mine action operations will continue at full speed across the four provinces of Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk while geographic expansion within established areas of operation and into neighbouring provinces is planned for the coming months.
• Increased use of dogs and technology: In late 2025, our first mine detection dog team was deployed to support FSD’s manual demining actitivies and will be joined by a second dog team in 2026. In parallel, FSD will continue to work with non-profit start-up FindMine to test their UAV-based remote sensing system in Ukraine. The UAV is equipped with a ground-penetrating radar and can detect buried objects such as mines and unexploded ordnance. FSD is piloting an innovative digital hazard marking system. Signs with QR codes have been installed in village centres and along routes leading to areas contaminated with explosive ordnance. By scanning the codes, people can access up-to-date digital maps showing contamination risks, helping them understand their surroundings and avoid danger. The system is currently being tested and will be refined based on user feedback and field experience.
• Reinforcement of local capacity building projects: FSD will continue to support its local NGO partner, the Ukrainian Center for Humanitarian Protection (UCHP), in strengthening both its operational and structural capacities. This includes the development of key support functions such as logistics, finance and human resources. UCHP has already secured accreditation for explosive ordnance risk education, non-technical survey and clearance activities, and trained teams are currently in the process of being transferred to its management. The technical expertise of FSD’s national staff will also be continuously strengthened through regular training programmes delivered by FSD’s in-house training centre, which is accredited to provide the standard deminer training course required in the country.
• Resource mobilisation for reconstruction: The widespread contamination from mines and unexploded ordnance demands sustained support as new regions are liberated and new challenges emerge for humanitarian deminers. FSD remains committed to maintaining and expanding activities in its operational areas to maximise humanitarian impact and advance the clearance of explosive hazards. FSD is also working with stakeholders to leverage its demining expertise and the use of existing mechanical assets in support of reconstruction efforts, paving the way for safe and sustainable recovery in affected communities.

Our Funding

FSD’s mine action activities in Ukraine are supported and funded by institutional donors, private donors, and Swiss cantons and municipalities. FSD remains committed to maintaining and expanding its operations in order to maximise humanitarian impact for affected populations and accelerate the clearance of the country.

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© Interview broadcast on RTS La Première, in the programme La Ligne de cœur

It is very easy to lay a landmine. Removing it, however, is far more time-consuming and painstaking.

Olivier Shu

FSD Programme Manager

About Olivier

A demining expert and FSD staff member for the past eight years, Olivier is currently working in Ukraine. In a city regularly targeted by drones and missiles, air-raid sirens punctuate daily life, yet the teams continue their mission.

Olivier and his colleagues are currently supporting the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the operation, maintenance and repair of mechanical demining machines. These machines are used to clear agricultural land, allowing farmers to cultivate their fields safely once again.

A former soldier, Olivier explains why he chose to put his skills to work in humanitarian action. He speaks about determination, the transfer of knowledge, and his conviction that humanitarian demining remains essential for building a lasting peace.

A live testimony offering a closer understanding of what it means to live and work in a country affected by war.

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Today, the situation has changed. On 28th November 2025, an Operational Centre dedicated to managing the response to explosive hazards was inaugurated in Mindanao. Established in collaboration with FSD and the parties involved in the peace process, and bringing together the Philippine police and armed forces, this centre now enables a rapid, coordinated and effective deployment of assets to any alert.

“Now that the Centre is fully operational, any call about a suspected explosive triggers a rapid response within 48 hours,” explains police officer Shahanie D. Information is centralised, responsibilities are clearly defined, and teams know exactly how to act to prevent accidents. “When we receive a call about explosive(s), we can immediately gather all necessary information and provide a coordinated response through the operational Centre”, adds her colleague Edna L.

Beyond the immediate reduction of risk, the opening of this Centre plays a key role in peacebuilding. By bringing together actors who were previously opposed around a common objective which reduces the risk to all community members, it helps to restore trust between the different parties to the conflict. This concrete cooperation, grounded in the peace agreement, represents an essential step towards lasting security for communities and towards a peace that is built day by day.
 
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When an area is identified as contaminated, our teams mark it with red “Danger Mines” signs to warn local people to stay away from these areas. This year, FSD is testing an innovation: integrating QR codes with the warning signs to further enhance safety.

On his phone, Viktor can now immediately see the dangerous areas. “I scanned the QR code, and now I can open the map on my phone; I can see what’s safe and what’s dangerous. Even at a glance, the map clearly shows which areas to avoid,” he explains. The signs were placed in key locations across the city, in collaboration with local residents.

These signs do not replace awareness sessions or traditional marking, but they provide a valuable complementary tool to help everyone protect themselves from explosive remnants of war.

The project is implemented in partnership with the local organisation Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA), who are responsible for marking hazard areas and installing the signs, as part of a programme to strengthen local capacities. It is carried out with the support of Swiss Solidarity, UNOPS, and the European Union. Our local partner FEODAL developed the website.

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A new repair workshop and sustainable technical capacity

At the heart of the project is the rehabilitation and enhancement of a specialised repair workshop in Poltava, where damaged demining machines will be overhauled and returned to the field. The facility will be equipped with heavy tools, spare parts and diagnostic systems, enabling SESU to maintain its fleet of nearly 100 demining machines, some of which are no longer under warranty.

Over the next three years, FSD experts will mentor SESU personnel directly in the repair and upkeep of demining machines, from maintenance routines to spare-parts management. This training will enable SESU technicians to service multiple machine types, reducing costs and limiting reliance on international supply chains.

This project isn’t about adding new machines – it’s about repairing and maintaining the ones Ukraine already has, so they can return to the field and continue saving lives. By investing in SESU’s technical capacity, Switzerland is helping Ukraine strengthen its own demining response.

Hansjörg Eberle

FSD Director

“The refurbished Poltava workshop will allow SESU to carry out complex repairs — from engine overhauls to hydraulic maintenance — entirely in Ukraine,” added Olivier Shu, FSD Programme Manager in Ukraine. “It’s a major step towards SESU’s self-sufficiency and faster, safer mechanical clearance operations.”

Innovation to increase safety and precision

In addition to the repair and training components, the project will explore new technologies to improve the safety and precision of mechanical demining. Together with Ukrainian and international partners, FSD and SESU will test drone-based mapping and sensor systems to better assess terrain and detect obstacles before mechanical clearance operations begin.

FSD’s mechanical demining experts — already working with SESU since 2023 — will support these trials and training, ensuring the transfer of knowledge to Ukrainian engineers and operators. Over time, national teams will assume full ownership of the project’s technical functions.

Complementing FSD’s ongoing humanitarian demining work across Ukraine

In parallel with this new SECO-funded project, FSD continues its humanitarian mine action activities across Ukraine, including demining, risk education, and capacity-building. More than 570 staff members are currently deployed across the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Kherson regions.

Through its SDC-funded project in Kharkiv, FSD clears minefields and former battle areas, supports a local NGO in developing mine action capacities, and provides risk education in schools and communities.

“This new project complements our ongoing humanitarian demining work,” noted Eberle. “Together, SECO’s support for long-term capacity building and SDC’s funding enable FSD to contribute both to Ukraine’s immediate recovery and to its future self-reliance.”

Since June 2022, FSD teams have cleared over 3.5 million square metres of land, surveyed more than 127 million square metres, and delivered risk education to over 450,000 people.

Responding to an urgent national need

Ukraine remains one of the countries most contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance in the world. SESU’s 98 mechanical demining vehicles have already cleared more than 2,700 hectares of land, but the intensity of operations and the aging fleet pose significant maintenance challenges.

FSD has been working closely with SESU since 2023, providing technical support, training, and innovative solutions. The repair hub in Poltava directly responds to SESU’s requests for long-term support to sustain and modernise its demining capacity.

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Head of Communications

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FSD’s deminers come from all walks of life: farmers, teachers, IT specialists and many others. Many have had their lives disrupted by conflict and wish to contribute to rebuilding their country. Sometimes, a family member already working with FSD inspires them to join in turn. Demining also offers real career prospects in areas where economic opportunities are limited.

In the field, the task of deminers is to carefully examine and sometimes excavate the ground to locate landmines and explosive remnants of war using metal detectors. These women and men make up the majority of FSD’s workforce.

Alongside them, technical experts bring experience and specialised skills. Qualified in explosive ordnance disposal, they are responsible for securing and destroying the devices identified by deminers, as well as coordinating and monitoring field operations. Some also act as trainers, ensuring local deminers are trained to the highest international standards.

Training in two stages

No prior technical knowledge is required to become a deminer. It is enough to be able to read and write, and to be in good physical condition. Training begins with a theoretical module, covering search and excavation techniques, safety procedures and first aid. Trainee deminers also study the different types of explosive ordnance they may encounter in the field.

The following weeks are devoted to practical exercises: visual searches, metal detector use, vegetation cutting, excavation and emergency casualty evacuation drills. Each movement is repeated until it becomes second nature. Training sessions take place on specially prepared areas that replicate real conditions as closely as possible.

Continuous training for safer operations

Even after several years of experience, training remains a top priority. After each leave period, winter break or at regular intervals, deminers take part in refresher sessions. These exercises help them sharpen skills, integrate any new procedures and maintain high levels of vigilance.

Demining is a demanding profession. It requires working in the heat, rain and dust, often far from home and family for weeks at a time. Each day involves significant physical effort and constant focus. Yet the moment when a cleared field is finally handed back to its community brings a unique sense of fulfilment. The smiles of the deminers say it all: satisfaction, joy and pride in having made the world a little safer.

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For most travellers, the risks remain minimal as long as they stay on beaten tracks. However, accidents are not impossible: in 2019, for example, a German tourist was killed by an anti-personnel mine in northern Myanmar while travelling by motorbike. For people living in affected areas, by contrast, mines and explosive remnants of war represent a daily threat. Every activity – farming, collecting firewood, going to the market – can carry risks, while knowing that children might be playing in contaminated areas is a constant source of anxiety.

Clearing mine to open the way for tourism

Some countries struggle to attract visitors due to their reputation for insecurity. For them, mine clearance is key to reopening to tourism and generating income for recovery. Iraq, for instance, has immense tourism potential: exceptional historical heritage, major spiritual sites and spectacular natural landscapes. The mountains of Kurdistan, currently being cleared of mines, could soon welcome hikers and climbers in safety.

Other countries have already managed to largely erase the traces of past wars. Croatia, now one of Europe’s leading tourist destinations, was once heavily contaminated, with almost 2,000 victims of mines and explosive remnants of war recorded between 1991 and 2020. While not yet completely mine-free, a major clearance effort has secured tourist areas and allowed the country to rebuild its image.

The rise of “Dark Tourism”

While some may have visited a mine-affected country without realising it, others deliberately seek the thrill of danger. The growing trend of “dark tourism” includes visiting disaster areas, historic sites marked by tragedy, former battlefields – and in some cases, areas still contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war.

To travel safely, it is always best to follow official guidance, stay on marked paths and remain vigilant. Meanwhile, deminers are working every day to secure affected areas, protecting communities and enabling recovery. Their work is essential to ensure these regions can one day welcome travellers safely and begin a new chapter beyond conflict.

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It is with this in mind that FSD is currently supporting a promising Ukrainian NGO: the Ukrainian Center for Humanitarian Protection (UCHP), which emerged from a civil volunteer movement at the onset of the conflict.

For a period of three years, FSD will support UCHP at every level: demining operations, field surveys, risk education, as well as human resources, logistics, finance, and governance. The goal is clear: to enable UCHP to become an independent, fully operational, and internationally recognised organisation, capable of securing its own funding and meeting the rigorous standards of humanitarian demining.

A first milestone successfully reached

In early June, a concrete first step was taken: a mine risk education team trained by FSD officially joined UCHP. Risk education is a key component of mine action — it helps prevent accidents by teaching communities the behaviours that can save lives.

The newly formed team led its first risk education session for students at the French International School in Pushcha-Vodytsia — a zone heavily impacted by the 2022 fighting and considered one of the most contaminated areas in the Kyiv region.

“What struck me most were the joyful reactions of the children — especially the youngest ones. Of course, the topic is serious, but they were very receptive. I’m convinced that teaching safety knowledge and reflexes from an early age can significantly reduce the number of mine-related accidents,” says Anastasiia Korunova, Director of UCHP.

Towards fully independent operational capacity

In the coming months, FSD will continue this knowledge-sharing effort. Every skill gained today, every locally trained team, represents another step towards a Ukraine capable of sustainably securing its land and protecting its population — even after international operators have withdrawn. Thanks to the support of Switzerland, which contributes both to demining operations on the ground and to the development of local capacities, Ukraine is gradually building the autonomy it needs to carry this mission forward in the long term.

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