Across the Horn of Africa the humanitarian situation is fragile due to ongoing droughts, famine and economic hardship. Along the听Ethiopia border region with Somaliland and Somalia, the presence of landmines laid during the Border War, Ogaden War and ensuing Somali Civil War pose an additional threat to local people.
Landmines kill valuable livestock and restrict access to already scarce resources such as water and grazing land, exacerbating existing听inter-clan conflicts. The Somali region of Ethiopia is听an essential part of the the Berbera corridor project鈥攐pening up trade routes from Berbera Port in Somaliland, to听Ethiopia, and the interior of the Horn of Africa. As the roads are rebuilt, population pressures are increasing in the border region, compounded by a succession of severe droughts pushing traditional nomadic communities into the local villages. Between October 2021 and听June 2022, 440,000 people were displaced by the drought in the Somali Region.听In the search for land,听families are unknowingly听travelling through, or听setting up home, on听unmarked听minefields, putting lives and livelihoods at risk.
Our Work
HALO has听cleared听several minefields听around听the villages of听Dabogoryaale听and Khatumo听on the Somaliland side of the border since听the early 2000s. In October 2022, we began work to clear the minefields on the Ethiopian side of听both听villages.听In 2022,听HALO Ethiopia survey teams will also begin a baseline assessment of all remaining landmine contamination in the Somali Region in coordination with regional authorities, ensuring that all known hazardous areas are accurately mapped.听To keep families safe until all the mines are removed for good, we are running risk education sessions for local communities听in the border region.