Long after conflicts have ended, mines continue to cause harm, instil fear, and prevent refugees and internally displaced people from returning to their homes. They also strip entire regions of the opportunity for economic recovery and development.

To address this significant challenge, the European Union is a major donor for mine action worldwide, supporting a range of activities including mine clearance, risk education, victim assistance, stockpile destruction, capacity building, and research and development on mine detection and clearance. We help protect civilians, promote human security, and help communities reclaim their futures. Through these efforts, the EU is promoting the Sustainable Development Goals and advancing the UN Pact for the Future’s vision of a more just and sustainable world.

Over the past six years, the EU has provided over €800 million to support mine action in countries all around the world including Mozambique, Senegal, Colombia, Croatia, Afghanistan, Syria, Gaza, the West Bank, Iraq, Libya, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Benin, Niger, Kenya, and Burkina Faso. The EU has also supported activities of the Implementation Support Unit of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention through consecutive projects since 2008.

EU support for humanitarian demining is particularly crucial in Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated countries due to Russia’s illegal war of aggression. Since 2022, the EU and its Member States have provided over €370 million to support demining efforts in Ukraine, clearing 35,000 km² of hazardous land, providing essential demining equipment and mine detection dogs for state operators, and strengthening Ukraine’s mine action governance.

On International Mine Awareness Day, the EU honours the dedicated deminers, whose tireless efforts not only save lives but also restore hope to communities ravaged by conflict.