Mine action to increase resilience and support durable solutions for IDPs, returnees, and host communities in cluster munition affected counties in Jonglei State MAG’s Multi-Task Team (MTT) will rapidly remove the threat to physical safety posed by explosive hazards from areas surrounding townships, expanding the area of safe land for farming, grazing cattle, and building houses in priority communities of Twic East and Duk counties of Jonglei. MAG has selected counties that are priorities for both the protection and the food security and livelihoods clusters. In order to best respond to changing humanitarian needs and to take into account new information about the scale and type of contamination in the area (from results of ongoing/recent NTS), MAG will be prepared and able to conduct manual minefield clearance, BAC clearance without mechanical vegetation removal, and BAC clearance with mechanical vegetation removal.  

The MTT consists of a survey/clearance team, capable of conducting battle area clearance, manual minefield clearance, and EOD spot tasks as appropriate. When appropriate for the contamination, MAG will deploy a Bozena machine with mulcher attachment that will prepare the ground for clearance by rapidly clearing vegetation from tasks. The Bozena/mulcher will not be used for sub-surface ground preparation, and thus can be used in most weather conditions. The use of the machine significantly improves cost efficiency compared to manual clearance with manual vegetation cutting alone. As the project aims to be flexible to deploy to multiple types of contamination and conditions, the Bozena has been budgeted to run for 5 months. (see “Complementarity” for more details). 

It is expected that over the course of the project, MAG will work for 190 operational days (including deployment to task site, reconnaissance of task site, and preparation of completion reports) following training and accreditation.  Setting an operations days worked target as the clearance indicator will allow MAG to flexibly respond to different types of contamination and ground conditions as needed. Upon the creation of an implementation plan for each task site, minimum clearance requirements will be task based and shall be agreed upon in the implementation plan for each task, which is signed by MAG and UNMAS. Expected clearance rates for three different methodologies have been provided in the activity description. Expected clearance rates are provided for (option A) manual minefield clearance, (option B) BAC clearance without the assistance of a Bozena, and (option C) BAC clearance with a Bozena with mulcher head attachment for vegetation removal to prepare the ground prior to clearance. 

The team will include two community liaison officers (CLOs) who will visit sites of concern and work with community elders, women and youth to ensure that any unlisted suspected contamination is correctly identified, quantified and prioritized. To facilitate reporting of such suspected contamination, they will train men and women to be community focal points (CFPs). In addition to taking reports of possible hazards, CFPs support communication between communities and MAG. MAG will conduct monthly follow up visits with CFPs. One of the goals of training CFPs is to ensure that communities are able to manage the risks associated with residual contamination (such as UXO) even after MAG has left the area. Where appropriate, with the support of the technical field manager, new HAs will be raised and added to the team’s clearance work. CLOs will also liaise with local organisations providing MRE in the area, so that MAG can address any reports of contamination received by the local NGOs working in the community. As shown on the MRE sessions map, all affected counties have received some MRE in the past, and CINA and MTT are working in Twic East. Furthermore, the commercial companies TDI and G4S have also delivered MRE in the area around the Twic East  and Duk HAs in and 2018.