The United Kingdom, in partnership with The HALO Trust, has handed over 20 Minelab F3 mine detectors to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) as part of ongoing efforts to clear landmines and restore safe access to affected communities.
The donation is part of the UK government’s US$33 million contribution to support humanitarian demining in Zimbabwe.
The detectors were originally procured for clearance operations in Mozambique but became available for redeployment after the successful completion of the programme there.
Following a formal request from the ZDF, The HALO Trust arranged for the transfer of the surplus equipment and has now incorporated it into its UK-funded demining operations in Zimbabwe. Alastair Kern, the UK embassy defence attaché, said:
This donation reflects the UK’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian mine action and our strong partnership with Zimbabwe.
These detectors have already proven their value in saving lives and restoring land. We are confident this donation will go a long way to achieving a mine-free Zimbabwe.
The Minelab F3 detectors are vital tools used by HALO Trust demining teams to locate and safely remove landmines still buried across parts of Zimbabwe.
The detectors will now help clear contaminated land, making it safer for communities to live, farm, and travel.
Demining efforts in Zimbabwe are led by the Zimbabwe Mine Action Centre (ZIMAC), working in close partnership with international organisations such as The HALO Trust and the Mines Advisory Group (MAG).
Since 2016, these efforts have been supported by the UK’s Global Mine Action Programme.
Together, the partnership has achieved significant progress: over six million square metres of land have been cleared, with more than 13.8 million square metres released back to communities.
More than 250,000 anti-personnel landmines have been destroyed.
Risk education has reached over 83,000 people, while more than 20,000 people, mainly in the rural border communities of Mount Darwin and Rushinga, have directly benefited from safer, mine-free land.
More: NewsDay
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