Explosive Ordnance Risk Education, Disposal, and Non-Technical Survey in Northwest Syria This project is consistent with HALO’s contribution to the 2021 HRP (ref: HSYR21-PRO-178454-1). It reflects lessons learned from HALO’s experience in northwest Syria since 2016 and is in consultation with the Mine Action Sub-Cluster (MASC) and the northwest Syria humanitarian cluster network in Gaziantep.

HALO will deliver a 12 month humanitarian mine action response to support 12,538 beneficiaries through direct implementation and support from an implementing partner (iMFAD). The project includes:

 a) Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE)
 b) EORE Trainer of Trainer (ToT) training
 c) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and
 d) Non-Technical Survey (NTS) 

These activities will be conducted in selected sub-districts across opposition-controlled areas of Idleb and western Aleppo and across Turkish-administered areas of northern Aleppo. HALO will deliver EORE and ToT training in opposition-controlled areas and iMFAD will deliver EOD and NTS in Turkish-administered areas. EORE field staff will be trained to deliver community COVID-19 awareness messaging consistent with WHO guidance.

Explosive Risk Ordnance Education and Train the Trainer Training
One five-person Community Liaison Team (CLT) under HALO will deliver 30-40 minute community-based risk education sessions to children and adults across Idleb, Harim and Jisr-Ash-Shugur districts. Content will be consistent with MASC key messaging. The CLT will also deliver training to Community Focal Points (CFPs) and NGO Focal Points across all humanitarian sectors to improve the integration and reach of risk education messaging. The total beneficiary target is 11,960 direct beneficiaries (11,730 EORE beneficiaries and 230 CFPs and NGO Focal Points). Beneficiary calculations are at Annex C.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Non-Technical Survey
One five-person EOD/NTS team under iMFAD will destroy 105 items and complete 15 non-technical survey community reports across 22 communities throughout the duration of the project in the districts of A’zaz and Afrin of the Aleppo governorate, averaging one item of explosive ordnance per day. The team will also conduct NTS in explosive ordnance (EO) contaminated communities to assess minefields, cluster munition strike areas, IED fields, and areas densely contaminated with EO to better define these areas in terms of scale, hazard and impact on communities and to enable planning of future activities. The total beneficiary target is 578 direct EOD beneficiaries.

The project will be delivered by HALO field staff from their office in Kelly, Idleb and by iMFAD field staff in A’zaz, Aleppo. HALO and iMFAD’s offices will coordinate operations from Gaziantep and field staff will be supported directly by HALO staff in Amman and iMFAD staff in Balikesir. Lessons learned from previous projects as well current funding constraints have prompted HALO to restructure both programme and field offices to be leaner, more efficient and cost effective, adapting the number of staff to more effectively match the needs of the project size, requirements and the current funding limitations. The project comprises staff 20 funded at 100% (HALO: 9 iMFAD, 11) – all in Northwest Syria and 15 funded under shared arrangements (HALO: 10, iMFAD: 5). 24 of 35 staff are in Northwest Syria. This shared funding is principally through private unrestricted donations to HALO to be allocated to the project. The project organogram is at Annex F.