3 million euros from the European Union for landmine removal in Sudan

April 28, 2026 (PEN) The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan has received €3 million in funding from the European Commission’s External Action Service to implement the 18-month project “Rebuilding Sudan: Mine Clearance for Recovery”.

The UN agency explained that the project focuses on clearing explosive ordnance in urban and semi-urban areas receiving returnees, including the capital Khartoum, after the expansion of ordnance contamination since April 2023, which has become a threat to residential neighborhoods and infrastructure.

The department director, Kazumi Ogawa, said that "explosive ordnance remains a deadly threat to returning families," stressing that European support will contribute to clearing priority areas and creating conditions for a safe return.

According to the Foreign Policy Instruments Department, the project includes surveying and clearing neighborhoods, roads, markets, schools, and health facilities, as well as raising awareness about the dangers of unexploded ordnance and training local personnel. It directly benefits 700,000 civilians and more than one million people through the restoration of essential services.

For his part, the head of the Foreign Policy Instruments Department, Peter M. Wagner, stressed that “mine clearance saves lives and is the cornerstone of recovery,” noting that addressing contamination is an urgent priority to protect civilians and enable their return.