Meeting in Tripoli reviews mine action challenges and progress

The UN Support Mission in Libya and the Libyan Mine Action Centre have held a meeting in Tripoli with implementing partners to review progress and address operational challenges in clearing explosive remnants of war.

The meeting brought together international and national NGOs, the Libyan Red Crescent, and representatives from several countries and organisations, including Unicef and the FAO.

Officials said 126,385 square metres of land had been cleared and 11 sites declared safe in the first half of the year. A total of 42,675 explosive items were safely removed, while risk awareness activities reached the same number of people.

According to the UN, 242 incidents recorded between 2022 and 2026 resulted in 517 casualties, including 186 deaths and 331 injuries caused by unexploded ordnance.

Participants discussed challenges including disposal of collected munitions, temporary storage, access constraints and administrative hurdles, as well as the need to strengthen capacity in mine clearance and risk education.