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______________________________________________ File Ref. Reps. Date 26/01/2013 2013

PROGRESS REPORT PROGRESS REPORT

(January – June 2012) (January – June 2012)

Coordination and monitoring of humanitarian mine action

for UXO hotspots clearance in Albania Coordination and monitoring of humanitarian mine action

for UXO hotspots clearance in Albania

This action was funded by the Government of Norway

Table of Contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 4

2 GENERAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................ 5

3 THE UXO/ERW HOTSPOTS PROBLEM IN ALBANIA ............................................................................. 6

4 PROJECT OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................. 7

4.1 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: ..................................................................................................................................... 8

5 PROJECT ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD.................................. 8

5.1 THE ALBANIAN MINES AND MUNITIONS COORDINATION OFFICE (AMMCO) ................................................. 8 5.2 UXO HOTSPOTS CLEARANCE ........................................................................................................................... 9 5.3 AMMCO TECHNICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENTS ............................................................. 14 5.4 RISK EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY LIAISON .................................................................................................. 15 5.5 MINE/UXO VICTIM ASSISTANCE .................................................................................................................... 15 5.6 DISARMAMENT TREATIES SUPPORT ................................................................................................................ 16

6 MEETINGS AND TRAININGS ..................................................................................................................... 16

7 PROJECT VISITS ........................................................................................................................................... 17

ANNEX A – HANDOVER CERTIFICATE URA E GJADRIT ........................................................................... 19

ANNEX B –CMC AND APMBC ARTICLE 7 REPORTS (ATTACHED) .......................................................... 21

ANNEX C – AMMCO FINANCIAL REPORT /JANUARY – JUNE 2012 (ATTACHED) ............................... 21

Albanian Mines and Munitions Coordination Office (AMMCO) - Rr. “Donika Kastrioti , Pallati 14, Ap.3A, Tirana Albania, ”Tel/ Fax: ++ 355 4 22 69 280; Email: [email protected] 2

List of Acronyms AAF ‐ Albanian Armed Forces ALB – AID – Albanian Association for Integration and Development AMMCO ‐ Albanian Mines and Munitions Coordination Office AMAP ‐ Albanian Mine Action Programme APM ‐ Anti‐Personnel Mine ARC ‐ Albanian Red Cross ASS ‐ Ammunition Storage Sites AXO – Abandoned Explosive Ordnance CCM – Convention on Cluster Munitions DCA ‐ DanChurchAid ERW ‐ Explosive remnants of War EOD –Explosive Ordnance Disposal GICHD ‐ Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining ICRC ‐ International Committee of Red Cross IMAS ‐ International Mine Action Standards IMSMA ‐ Information Management System for Mine Action ITF ‐ International Trust Fund MoD ‐ Ministry of Defense MRE ‐ Mine Risk Education NOPC ‐ National Ortho‐Prosthetic Centre QA ‐ Quality Assurance QC ‐ Quality Control QM ‐ Quality Management SEEMACC ‐ South East Europe Mine Action Coordination Council SOP ‐ Standard Operating Procedures TS ‐ Technical Survey TSS ‐ Technical Safety Standards UNDP ‐ United Nations Development Programme UNMAS ‐ United Nations Mine Action Service UXO ‐ Unexploded Ordnance


1 Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed description of the activities carried out during January – June 2012 under the “Coordination and monitoring of humanitarian mine action for UXO hotspots clearance in Albania” project and funded by the Government of Norway through UNDP BCPR.

During this six month period an area of about 116,000 sqm was cleared and released by non‐technical means of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in four different hotspots namely: Ura e Gjadrit, Gjeroven, Otllake and Rreshen. A total of 25,170 dangerous explosive items including artillery ammunition, fuses, hand grenades, RPGs and small arms ammunition were found and destroyed. The land cleared and released in three hotspots was certified as free of ammunition and handed over to the communities for further productive use. The fourth hotspot in Gjeroven (Berat) could not be completed due to insufficient funds therefore the area was not handed over for use to the local community.

The clearance operations were carried by the international clearance organization DanChurchAid (DCA) in cooperation with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit of the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF), which was mainly responsible for the transport and disposal of the collected ammunition under coordination and monitoring of the Albanian Mine and Munitions Coordination Office (AMMCO).

Among the highlights and major achievements of this project, is the successful and close cooperation among the National Monitoring Authority (AMMCO), the clearance organization (DCA) and the Albanian Armed Forces, which produced tangible and set a very positive example.

The clearance activities in the UXO hotspots were carried out with no accidents during the operations in the hotspot areas or involving local civilians. This is an indication of safe operations conducted in full compliance with the international humanitarian standards but also of a good coverage with Risk Education activities performed by the Albanian Red Cross in cooperation and as monitored with AMMCO.

There are at least 971 UXO casualties (143 killed and 828 injured) all over Albania (238 casualties are from the previously mine affected areas in Northeast Albania) and mostly recorded from 1997 up to date. Efforts to contribute to and improve the emergency and continuing medical care, physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support and socio‐economic reintegration of the mine/UXO survivors have been ongoing since the establishment of the Mine Action Programme.

During this reporting period, 20 mine/UXO amputees and other disabled people were fitted with new prostheses/orthoses at the Prosthetic Workshop which has been established at Kukes Regional Hospital while 75 amputees were assisted with major repairs of the prostheses/orthosis.

The Albanian Government has signed and ratified both the Anti‐Personnel Mine Ban Convention and Cluster Munitions Convention. As such, AMMCO has provided its support in


drafting the required annual transparency reports under these conventions, which were then submitted to the United Nations within the required deadline. The programme during the reporting period had to face with a shortage of funding for clearance operations and therefore DCA had to suspend its operations in Gjeroven hotspot. In addition, AMMCO during this period had to spend considerable energy and efforts in resource mobilization for the continuation of its own operation in coordination and monitoring while clearance operations were continued by the Albanian Armed Forces but with limited funding.

2 General background Surplus ammunition, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination is a nationwide spread problem in Albania. Aging ammunition stockpiles, a series of ammunition depot explosions, looting of weapons and ammunition by civilians as well as remains of the WW II are among the causes. In 1992, the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) counted over 194,000 tons of ammunitions leftover from the former communist regime. Furthermore, during the civil unrest in 1997 there were a number of explosions at Ammunition Storage Sites (ASS) across Albania. Hundreds of tons of ammunition exploded, killing and injuring civilians and thrown out ammunition contaminated vast areas around the ASS by creating the so‐called hotspots. In order to deal with the situation the Government and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) outlined a Plan of Action for the Elimination of Excess Ammunition in Albania aiming to dispose of all its surplus stockpiled ammunition by 2013 and clear all the UXO/ERW hotspot areas by 2014. Following, a programme on “Coordination and monitoring of humanitarian mine action for UXO/ERW hotspots clearance in Albania” was launched by the Government, supported by UNDP and international donors to the UXO/ERW hotspots clearance priority. The proposed approach derived from the experience and national capacities built during almost a decade of implementation of the Albanian humanitarian mine action programme, which culminated with the clearance of all landmine and cluster munitions from the contaminated areas in north‐eastern Albania. The main components of the programme focus on improving physical security of stockpile management (PSSM), upgrading current safety disposal practices to international standards, enlarging the demilitarization framework to include civil community safety, awareness and participation elements as well as broadening the current mine victim assistance scheme, developed for the northeast, to target all UXO/ERW victims around Albania. The Ministry of Defence and UNDP Albania signed in November 2011 a Memorandum of Understanding, which laid down all aspects of the proposed assistance by UNDP and the respective contributions by both the Ministry of Defence and UNDP in the implementation of unexploded ordnance hotspots clearance. A gradual conversion of the former Albanian Mine Action Executive (AMAE) to the Albanian Mines and Ammunition Coordination Office (AMMCO) was also completed in 2011 in order to reflect its new role and mandate.


The Albanian Government has signed and ratified both Conventions on the prohibition of Anti‐Personnel Mines and Cluster Munitions and as such has undertaken all obligations which derive from the implementation of these conventions.

3 The UXO/ERW hotspots problem in Albania During the civil unrest in Albania in March 1997 and later, there were a number of explosions at Ammunition Storage Sites (ASS) across Albania. According to AAF estimates at the time, 38 army depots (storages) were destroyed due to the detonation of about 5,700 tons of ammunition in 15 different locations. The explosions killed and injured many civilians while thrown‐out ammunition contaminated vast areas around the ASS. Exploded ammunition was partially left in a very dangerous state on the ground, which led to death, injuries and tragedies of innocent civilians in the following months and years. The AAF conducted surface clearance operations of these hotspots but clearance were not conducted based on International humanitarian standards, therefore not going beyond surface clearance. New accidents have been recorded in these areas even years after surface clearance has been declared completed since these areas still contain live and dumped ammunition. According to estimates from the Albanian Mine Action Executive (AMAE), there have been at least 971 abandoned explosive ordnance casualties (143 killed and 828 injured) all over Albania. In addition, new ammunition hotspots have been created in few former army ammunition demolition areas and shooting or firing ranges (former shooting & training sites), which have been closed down recently by the AAF. Based on the Technical Assessment carried out by AMMCO, most of these areas need a full subsurface clearance according to International Mine Action Standards for any remaining unexploded ammunition threat. Upon request of the Ministry of Defence, AMMCO in cooperation with the Senior Technical Advisor from the Swiss General Staff and with the UNDP’s financial support, carried out technical and socio‐economic assessments for 19


hotspots throughout Albania, which were considered a threat for the surrounding community. The purpose of these assessments was to obtain a real picture of the remaining threat such as: exact location, estimation of highest threat, determine clearance operation requirements, impact to the communities, etc. and to propose adequate action. In general, the assessment team identified that most of the hotspots contain still dangerous and scattered ammunition despite several surface clearances conducted in the past by the Albanian Armed Forces. The inert ammunition is scattered over the areas and attracts metal scrap collectors. This activity contains a considerable risk for life and serious injuries involving mostly innocent civilians. Below is a list of all identified unexploded ammunition hotspots throughout Albania: Table 1 – List of identified UXO/ERW hotspots throughout Albania

Nr Hotspot Location Estimated Contaminated area (m2)

Priority

1 Gjeroven Berat 12,000 High 2 Laç Laç 1,117 Low 3 Ura e Gjadrit Shkodër 93, 295 High 4 Palikesht Berat 12,000 low 5 Mbreshtan Berat 30,720 low 6 Kordhocë Gjirokaster 2,400 medium 7 Picar Gjirokaster 62,000 medium 8 Sinanaj Tepelene 200,000 high 9 Klos Burrel 180 medium 10 Suç Burrel 84,000 low 11 Gryka e Manatisë M.Lezhes 6,000 low 12 Shën Vasil Sarandë 0 low 13 Pilur - Himare Vlorë 12,000 medium 14 Rreshen Rreshen 10,000 low 15 Selice – Qafe Shtamë Burrel 2 tunnels medium 16 Brezhdan Peshkopi 30,000 low 17 Gerdec-Vore Tirane 63,000 high 18 Jube Sukth Durrës 1,326,714 medium 19 Otllak Berat 3,000 medium

4 Project objectives The project intends to support the priority of hotspots clearance over the country’s territory and ammunition disposal. Thus, the main goal of the project is “to contribute to making Albania safe from ERW/AXO and to the fulfillment of the Albanian Government’s commitment to eliminate the ammunition risk by 2014”


4.1 Specific Objectives:

1. Clearance of all ammunition hotspots in Albania is carried out and completed in full compliance with international humanitarian standards by 2014. 2. Medical, physical conditions and socio‐economic status of ERW/UXO survivors and their families are significantly improved. 3. The Albanian Government is supported to report regularly and to comply with all relevant requirements under the international disarmament conventions.

5 Project activities carried out during the reporting period

5.1 The Albanian Mines and Munitions Coordination Office (AMMCO) The conversion of the Albanian Mine Action Executive (AMAE) to the Albanian Mines and Ammunition Coordination Office (AMMCO) was completed in 2011. AMMCO’s role with the new mandate includes:

o Reviewing existing safety standards on UXO/ERW hotspots clearance and disposal and upgrading them in compliance with the International Humanitarian Standards.

o Conducting detailed technical and socio‐economic impact assessments. Based on the

results of these assessments, develop priorities for clearance in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense.

o Ensuring safety of cleared land through quality assurance and quality control and make

sure that during the clearance operations the operator is working according to international safety standards.

o Working together with local communities to build up adequate public awareness and

risk education programs for hotspot areas. Production and distribution of several risk education materials to hotspots affected communities in 12 regions in Albania.

o Certifying the land cleared by the clearance operators and hand it over to the local

community in official handover ceremonies.

o Working towards expanding Albania’s existing mine victim assistance programme to include ERW/UXO survivors.


5.2 UXO hotspots clearance During the reporting period, hotspots clearance operations were ongoing in the Hotspot of Ura e Gjadrit in Shkoder and Gjeroven Hotspot in Berat. • Ura e Gjadrit Hotspot

Ura e Gjadrit is located near Gjader river bed (Shkoder) and is mainly rocky terrain with low vegetation. In April 1997 there were a number of explosions on the former ammunition storage site located in this area, which resulted in the complete destruction of the site and created a UXO contamination of the surrounding area. Two people were killed and six were injured in this hotspot. The AAF carried out a rapid surface clearance of the area after the explosion but AMMCO team, during its assessment visit in July 2011, found live ammunition (mortar, small arms ammunition and mortar fuses) even many years after the explosion which indicated that the area required systematic instrument assisted research, according to the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). As such, based on the Minister’s Order on the “implementation of the Memorandum between UNDP and Ministry of Defense for clearance of hotspots and disposal of ammunition in Albania” and in compliance with the hotspots clearance priorities approved by the National Demilitarization Board, AMMCO prepared the Task Dossier which contained full technical information, as collected during the Technical Assessment for Ura e Gjadrit hotspot. The Task Dossier was delivered for implementation to the clearance organization (DCA), which was subcontracted to carry out the field operations by STERLING INT. Funding for the clearance of this hotspot, was provided by the US State Department through the International Trust Fund in Slovenia. In compliance with the requirements outlined by the Technical Assessment and the Task Dossier, the clearance company commenced the operations in mid November 2011 with two clearance teams composed of former local demining staff and one international programme manager. The DCA clearance operations were monitored by the AMMCO’s Quality Management (QM) Team composed of a QM Team Leader and two QM Monitors, in order to ensure that clearance was carried out based on the safety standards. Based on the reports of the clearance company and the AAF Chief of Staff letter Dt. 13.12.2011 “on the designation of ammunition storages to store ammunition collected during the clearance of hotspots”, AMMCO coordinated and monitored the disposal in site by the AAF EOD unit of all ammunition found and collected in Ura e Gjadrit, which were considered dangerous for transport. AMMCO coordinated also with the Armed Forces and DCA, the transport of ammunition that were considered safe to move, to the designated ammunition depots of Gjegjan – Puke, based on the Chief of Staff’s order. The ammunition collected in these depots


were then disposed at the closest Army Demolition Range, “Livadhet e Hamzit‐Puke from the AAF EOD unit.

Unexploded ordnance found at Ura e Gjadrit Hotspot

GICHD IMSMA Specialist visit at Ura e Gjadrit site Official Handover ceremony for clearance of Ura e Gjadrit hotspot

The clearance operations in Ura e Gjadrit hotspot were completed in late April 2012. A total area of 93.295 m² cleared by the demining organization was certified as free of ammunition threat by AMMCO (See handover certificate at Annex A). A total of 21,554 pieces of different ammunition were found in this area and then destroyed by the AAF EOD Unit. Detailed information about types of ammunition found are given at Table 2 below: Table 2 – Explosive ordnance found at Ura e Gjadrit hotspot

Nr. Type Total found

1 Projectile HE 122 mm Obuz 39

3 Mortar projectiles HE 82 mm 81

4 Artillery shells 85 mm 55



6 Artillery Bl.Shp. K/A 37 mm 449


8 Artillery shells 100mm 24

9 Mortar shells 120 mm 16

10 Offensive hand grenade 51

11 Defensive Hand Grenade 153

12 Anti tank hand grenade 5

14 Recoilless 75 mm 21

15 RPG AT 2

16 RPG 40 mm 6

17 Fuses 882

18 Small arms ammunition 7.62 mm 11,171

19 Small arms ammunition K/A 12.7 mm 8510

The clearance and ammunition disposal operations in this hotspot were carried out safely and without any accidents. The AMMCO Quality Management Team conducted regulary quality control and quality assurance visits in the area. Table 3- AMMCO QA and QM visits during clearance operations

Month Quality Assurance visits Quality control

January 2 4 boxes x 20 m² = 80 m²

February 2 6 boxes x 20 m² = 120 m²

March 4 19 boxes x 20 m² = 380 m²

April 3 4 boxes x 20 m² = 60 m²

Even though clearance operations progressed well and were completed successfully, the AMMCO QM Team during its monitoring visits identified several issues that had to be overcome during the operations:

1. The terrain was heavily contaminated with small metals (mainly metal parts and small arms ammunition), which made the detecting process more difficult.

2. Small clearance capacities of the Clearance Organization with only two operators’ teams slowed the progress.

3. Lack of mechanical capacities by the clearance organizations for deep search which could enable more effective searching operations around the ammunition storage site. AMMCO requested the AAF to offer a bulldozer which enabled this search for a final clearance completion.


All information about unexploded ammunition found, collected and destroyed at Ura e Gjadrit hotspot was processed in IMSMA database, which was adapted with the support of the GICHD to record information for the UXO hotspots clearance. The cleared area was handed over in an official ceremony organized in Ura e Gjadrit and with attendance of Deputy Minister of Defence, Chief of General Staff, Army officials, local authorities, AMMCO and DCA representatives and inhabitants of the local community. • Gjeroven (Berat) Hotspot

There were a number of explosions in this Ammunition Storage Site during the uprisings in 1997, which resulted in the complete destruction of three storages and created a UXO contamination of the surrounding area. The dangerous area was very close to the inhabited buildings and farming houses. One person was killed and five were injured in this hotspot. Despite the AAF surface clearance in 1999, mixed type of ammunition was still scattered over a specific area including highly sensitive hand grenade fuzes making the area unsafe to enter. AMMCO issued a Task Dossier in April 2012 to DCA for the commencement of clearance operations in Gjeroven hotspot. The operations started on 26 April with funds from the German Government through the International Trust Fund of Slovenia and under AMMCO’s monitoring. The clearance operations in Gjeroven were carried out with the same clearance capacities and equipment as in Ura e Gjadrit hotspot. An area of 9,061 sqm was searched and cleared of unexploded ordnance and a total number of 1,535 pieces of ammunition were found in this area. A detailed number by type of ammunition found is in the table below. Table 4 – Unexploded Ordnance found in Gjeroven Hotspot.

Nr. Type of ammunition Total

1 Projectile HE 122 mm Obuz 18

2 Mortar shell HE 82 mm 42

3 Artillery shell 85 mm 13

4 Artillery shell 76 mm 23

5 Artillery shell 100mm 65

6 Offensive hand grenade 2

7 Defensive Hand Grenade 725

8 75 mm accumulative 16

9 Electric Detonators 417

10 Various fuses 214


AMMCO coordinated and monitored the disposal in site by the AAF EOD unit of all ammunition that were found and collected in Gjeroven and were considered dangerous for transport. In addition, AMMCO coordinated with the Armed Forces and DCA, the transport of ammunition that were considered safe to move, to the designated ammunition depots of Mbreshtan – Berat, based on the AAF Chief of Staff order. The AAF Unit in Berat offered free of charge to DCA teams the use of accommodation of their army secure compound during the operations. The clearance operations carried out in both Ura e Gjadrit and Gjeroven were examples of an outstanding cooperation between an NGO and the armed forces and showed that if there is a positive attitude and engagement by all parties involved towards achieving a common goal, then successful results can be achieved. Unfortunately, due to insufficient funds, the operations at Gjeroven to cover the whole area were suspended by leaving about 25% of the total area still uncleared. Efforts made by AMMCO to find additional funding to complete and handover this area resulted unsuccesful and therefore this area is not yet certified as “free of threat” and it has not been handed over officially to the local community.

Unexploded ordnance found at Gjeroven Hotspot

Deputy Minister of Defence visits Gjeroven operations area Risk Education poster in the hotspot area

The AMMCO QM team monitored regularly the clearance operations and conducted Quality Control through the sampling method. The QA and QC visits showed that the operations were carried out by the DCA in compliance with the international humanitarian standards and no remnanats of explosive items were found in this area during the quality control. The clearance and ammunition disposal operations in this hotspot were carried out safely and with no accidents.


Table 5- AMMCO QA and QM visits during clearance operations

Month Quality Assurance

Quality Control m² /box

Quality Control m² /lot

April 1 0m² 0m² May 6 7 x 100m²=700 m² 7 x 15m² per lot = 105m² Total 7 700 m² 105m²

5.3 AMMCO technical and socioeconomic impact assessments AMMCO has carried out Technical and Socio‐Economic Impact Assesments of the 19 identified hotspots throughout Albania. In addition, upon request of the Ministry of Defence or other agencies, AMMCO has conducted assessments whenever there have been indications for any remaining threat from unexploded ordnance in a specific area. During the reporting period, the AMMCO team was requested to carry out Technical and Socio‐Economic Impact Assessments in three additional areas identified in Rreshen, Otllak and Berzhite. • Rreshen Hotspot

This hotspot was created during the uprising of 1997 in Albania where civilians looted the ammunition storage in Rrëshen. The civilians burned and destroyed the building but there was no explosion. Upon request from the Ministry of Defence, AMMCO team carried out a Technical Assessment on 29 February 2012. As a result of the assessment, it was concluded that there were no remaining unexploded ammunition or other risks in this area. The area has been used by the locals since the incident for grazing the animals and no accidents have been recorded as to date. Therefore the area was subject of non‐technical release by AMMCO. • Otllake (Berat) Hotspot

The Ministry of Defense requested AMMCO to carry out a Technical Assessment in a newly found hotspot area located in Berat, after indications of contamination of this area with Explosive Remnants of War. The findings of the Technical Assessment carried out in May 2012, indicated that a considerable amount of ammunition was buried in Otllak village, remains of the World War II. Based on the information from the locals, the ammunition was deposited in a small valley by the villagers at the end of the war and covered in a depth up to 2‐4 meters. For decades, the ammunition remained “untouched” and the land was not used by the locals but recently the Roma people started digging and collecting the ammunition to sell them for scrap. On the assessment day, the AMMCO team could notice several types of ammunition on the ground and in several deep holes opened by the locals. The ammunition found were of various calibers such as fuses, artillery shells of 75mm, 100mm and 150mm and was found fused and active.


The clearance of this hotspot was carried out by the AAF EOD unit under monitoring of AMMCO’s QM team. Since the ammunition was buried deep into the ground it was required an excavator for deep search and also qualified personnel capable to do the exact identification of these ammunition remnants. As a result of clearance operations, a total of 2,081 pieces of ammunition were found and collected in an area of about 3,000 sqm. Below is a detailed table of the ammunition found in Otllake Hotspot: Table 6 - Unexploded ammunition found in Otllake Hotspot

Nr. Type of ammunition Total 1 Artillery shells 23 mm Italian mod. 1 2 Artillery shells 75 mm E-TH top Italian mod. 1,912 3 Mortar shells 81 mm E-TH Italian mod. 1 4 Artillery shells 85 mm E-TH Italian mod. 67 5 Artillery shells 100 mm E-TH Italian mod. 97 6 Artillery shells 155 mm E-TH Italian mod. 3

5.4 Risk education and community liaison A poster with education and awareness messages was prepared in cooperation with the Albanian Red Cross with funding from ICRC. About 2,000 posters were printed and distributed in hotspots operation areas. In addition, leaflets were distributed to the local population. As such, an estimated number of 24,500 inhabitants were informed on the UXO threat in these areas. Despite the life threat, children and women are often involved along with men, in metal scrap collection around and inside hotspots areas; therefore the awareness activities targeted equally men, women, boys and girls. AMMCO was also liaising with the local authorities and communities of the hotspot areas in order to inform about the exact location of the dangerous areas and about the clearance operations in progress. The project made due efforts to ensure active participation of women and children during the consultation processes and community liaison activities around the areas where hotspots clearance takes place. It is estimated that about 49 % of the beneficiaries of the land that was cleared in several hotspots and that will be used by the local community, is females.

5.5 Mine/UXO victim assistance There are at least 971 UXO casualties (143 killed and 828 injured) all over Albania. Only 238 casualties are from the mine affected areas, indicating that serious threat of ammunition is not limited only in the north‐eastern border between Albania and Kosova. A National Plan 2011 ‐ 2015 aiming to support the mine and UXO survivors throughout Albania was formulated in


November 2010. This plan is in line and aims to comply with several international treaties ratified by Albania, such as Anti‐Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Convention on Cluster Munitions and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The National Plan will contribute to the emergency and continuing medical care, physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support, socio‐economic reintegration, data collection, and implementation of relevant laws and policies for all mine/UXO victims throughout Albania. The capacities to support mines/UXO survivors were created during the previous Albanian Mine Action Programme. These capacities in emergency medical response, ongoing medical care, surgical capacities and physical rehabilitation are developed at national and local level and are not serving just mine/UXO survivors and other persons with disabilities, but all people in need. In this regard, during the reporting period, 20 mine/UXO amputees and other disabled people were fitted with new prostheses/orthoses at Kukes Prosthetic Workshop while 75 amputees were assisted with major repairs of the prostheses/orthosis. In addition, AMMCO coordinated rehabilitation for two amputees classified as difficult cases, at the University Rehabilitation Institute in Slovenia, with new upper limb prostheses and training in rehabilitation for three physical medicine and rehabilitation medical doctors Respectively, two project proposals on (i) Needs assessment of Social‐Economic and medical needs of marginalized UXO/ERW victims in Albania. (ii) Support to physical rehabilitation for mine/UXO survivors and people with disabilities in Albania, are prepared and shared with the donors for possible funding.

5.6 Disarmament treaties support Albania is a State Party to the Anti‐Personnel Mine Ban Convention and Cluster Munitions Convention. As such, it has reporting obligations deriving from the respective Article 7 of each of these Conventions. AMMCO, as a part of its duty, supported the Government of Albania to comply with these obligations by drafting the Annual Transparency Reports under each of these conventions. The reports were deposited to the UN Secretary General within the respective deadlines. (Please see Annual Transparency Reports at Annex B). In addition, AMMCO provided the most up‐to‐date information in the annual meetings regarding the implementation status of these Conventions in Albania.

6 Meetings and trainings • The AMMCO Director attended from 26‐29 March 2012 the 15th International Meeting of

National Directors & UN Advisors in Geneva. During this meeting he gave a presentation on the UXO/ERW Hotspots clearance programme and attended various side events organized in the margins of this meeting.


• The AMMCO Victim Assistant (VA) and Risk Education (RE) Coordinator attended the

Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessionals organized in Geneva from 16‐19 April 2012 where he made a presentation on Government and NGO collaboration in advancing victim assistance in Albania.

• AMMCO assisted with the logistic arrangements in cooperation with the ITF Slovenia, of

the Regional Ammunition Stockpile Reduction (RASR) 5th Regional Conference hosted by Albania from 23‐25 April 2012 in Durres. RASR is a coordinated regional approach for senior military officers and munitions experts from throughout South East Europe to gather and share ideas and discuss challenges regarding unstable and excess stockpiles of conventional weapons and munitions. The AMMCO Director had also a presentation on Albania’s efforts and progress to clear the UXO hotspots throughout the country.

• The AMMCO VA and RE Coordinator attended the SEEMACC meeting organized in Sibenik,

Croatia on 23 April 2012 where he shared the Albanian experience on transition of Mine Action capacities and UXO/ERW Hotspots clearance programme.

• The AMMCO Programme Specialist together with the AAF Logistics Director attended from

15 ‐ 18 May 2012, the “Regional Workshop on the implementation of CCM in South Eastern Europe” organized by “RACVIAC ‐ Centre for Security Cooperation” in Zagreb, Croatia. The purpose of the Workshop was to share the latest developments related to the destruction of stockpiles and clearance of areas contaminated with cluster munitions in the region. The Albanian representatives presented the achievements in complying with the Convention and the progress of the current unexploded ordnance hotspots clearance project.

7 Project visits

• The International Committee of the Red Cross’s (ICRC) Regional Weapons Contamination Advisor Mrs. Lejla Susic visited the project from 6‐9 February 2012. The main aim of her visit was to discuss in more details the needs and plans for 2012 regarding UXO/ERW RE activities in cooperation with the Albanian Red Cross.

• Mr. John Stevens from the US State Department visited the Programme from 26‐28 April

2012. He visited the ongoing clearance operations in one of the high priority hotspots in Gjeroven, Berat and the Prosthetic/Physiotherapy unit in Kukes Regional Hospital built in the framework of the Mine Action Programme.

• From 5‐6 June 2012 a delegation from the GICHD composed of the Director of the Centre

Ambassador Stephan Husy, the Mine Action Specialist Mr. Erik Tollefsen, the IMSMA Specialist Mr. Halil Radogoshi and Mr. Paskal Rapillard, Advisor, Policy and External Relations visited the programme. The aim of their visit was to explore ways of cooperation and support by the GICHD in framework of the Ammunition Hotspots clearance and disposal programme in Albania. The delegation had high level meetings with Government representatives and visited the AMMCO Office and the AAF EOD unit.


• Ms. Sheree Bailey, Victim Assistance/Disability Advisor visited Albania from 4‐8 June

2012. The aim of her visit was to undertake a research to identify and document good practice in efforts to assist the victims of landmines, cluster munitions and other ERW. In this context she had several meetings and visits with Mine Action Partners in Albania including Kukes Regional Hospital, ALB‐AID, Government representatives, etc.


Annex A – Handover Certificate Ura e Gjadrit



Annex B –CMC and APMBC Article 7 Reports (attached)

Annex C – AMMCO Financial Report /January – June 2012 (Attached)

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