Mine Awareness in Nicaragua

Twelve years of civil war left Nicaragua the most mine-affected country in the Western Hemisphere. Today there are estimates of over one hundred thousand landmines in Nicaragua, which continue to threaten the population. The destruction of Hurricane Mitch in the fall of 1998 severely affected mine clearance operations in the country and caused the migration of landmines from mapped areas into unknown territories.

The Marshall Legacy Institute is assisting the Government of Nicaragua and its National Demining Commission in promoting mine awareness and risk reduction education throughout the country. MLI has established a mine awareness cell with the Commission to reduce landmine injuries and promote rehabilitative care for landmine survivors. This cell is developing a national strategy and standards for mine awareness to optimize the transfer of mine information among local structures and to provide knowledge on how to live safely in a mine-contaminated environment.