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UNMAS
United Nations Mine Action Service
When Home Is No Longer Safe: A Family’s Return in Sudan In many parts of Sudan, families returning home after conflict face a hidden danger: explosive hazards. During fighting, explosive items can fall into residential areas without detonating. Long after the violence stops, these items remain a serious threat to civilians. For families trying to rebuild their lives, these hidden hazards can turn homes, parks, and neighborhoods into dangerous…

Our Mission

UNMAS works with affected communities and partners worldwide to eliminate explosive threats, protect civilians, enable humanitarian action, and create the conditions for sustainable peace and recovery.


Established in 1997, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) works to eliminate the threat posed by mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices by coordinating United Nations mine action, leading operational responses at the country level, and in support of peace operations, as well as through the development of standards, policies and norms. UNMAS is a specialized, agile organization, which delivers concrete results in dynamic operating environments across the world. UNMAS operates under UN legislative mandates of both the General Assembly and the Security Council. UNMAS also responds to requests for assistance from national authorities in states affected by explosive ordnance. The scope of mine action work covers five pillars.

Five Pillars of Mine Action

The Five Pillars of Mine Action form the foundation of the United Nations’ approach to addressing the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war.

Removal and/or destruction of all explosive ordnance from a specified area or to a specified depth. Clearance also includes surveys, mapping and minefield marking.

UNMAS delivers educational activities aimed at reducing the risk of injury from explosive ordnance through public information campaigns, education and training, and liaison with communities.

Victim assistance addresses the needs and rights of victims of explosive ordnance through medical care, physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support and social inclusion, etc.

Advocacy includes outreach to encourage universal participation in existing international agreements and treaty meetings that ban or limit the use of landmines.

UNMAS provides technical support to the destruction and proper storage and inspection of stockpiled explosive hazards, known as weapons and ammunition management (WAM).

Discover more

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Watch how UNMAS clears landmines and explosive ordnance to protect communities and help countries build safer futures.
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The UN Mine Action Strategy constitutes an accountability framework for the UN system and participating UN entities.
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Learn more about our mine action in 21 countries and territories to mitigate the threat of explosive ordnance.