ABOUT
UNMAS has been supporting mine action activities throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) since 2009. However, since the escalation of hostilities on 7 October 2023, UNMAS operations have considerably evolved to adapt to the emerging needs of local populations and humanitarian partners in both Gaza and the West Bank.
UNMAS OPT continues to implement its work in alignment with the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2728 (2024) and UN General Assembly resolutions A/RES/ES-10/21 (2023) and A/RES/ES-10/22 (2023) on the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, and the provision of humanitarian activities in the current conflict. It also aligns with the Humanitarian Response Plan for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (HRP OPT) 2023, the Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory 2023, the renewed Flash Appeal for April - December 2024 and the UNMAS Palestine Programme Strategy (PS). Once development efforts can re-start, this programme will again contribute to the achievement of SDG 16 "Peace Justice and Strong Institutions", target "Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere", and play an essential function to enable other humanitarian actors to achieve other SDG goals, such as SDG 2 "Zero Hunger", SDG 3 "Good Health and Well-being", SDG 4 "Quality Education", SDG 5 "Gender Equality", SDG 6 "Clean Water and Sanitation" and SDG 9 "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure" by minimizing the substantial explosive threats posed to the UN and humanitarian actors in Gaza.
Lastly, and while the UNMAS OPT Programme addresses the threat of explosive remnants of war (ERW), it is aligned with the Oslo Action Plan by the States Parties of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in the sense that EORE and the collection of victim data are part of best practice and are as important in providing effective responses to the threat of ERW as they are to the threat of anti-personnel mines.
ACTIVITIES
In Gaza, UNMAS has supported humanitarian partners throughout hostilities and during ceasefire periods, enabling humanitarian response by providing assessments and guidance relating to explosive ordnance threats. Particularly in ceasefire periods, UNMAS supports early recovery efforts, recognising that humanitarian mine action is an essential prerequisite for all recovery and reconstruction efforts, including debris management and rubble removal. Working with local and international partners, UNMAS also disseminates explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) messaging to civilians, to ensure people know how to adopt safe behaviours. In the West Bank, UNMAS supports EORE and capacity enhancement efforts with local non-governmental organizations and the Palestinian Authority (PA), including the Palestinian Mine Action Center (PMAC) and PA Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Police.
UNMAS as a Coordinating Body
In 2024, UNMAS was designated by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator as the lead humanitarian coordinating body for mine action response in Gaza. UNMAS tasks and prioritizes the work of HMA actors in Gaza including by providing a comprehensive information management system. It co-chairs the Mine Action Area of Responsibility (MA AoR) under the Protection Cluster with NGO Humanity & Inclusion. The MA AoR ensures that all humanitarian actors harmonize and coordinate humanitarian mine action responses and houses multiple Technical Working Groups to tackle thematic issues such as EORE and debris management with a focused perspective.
Request Support or Resources
Visit this page if you would like to request support from the UNMAS team or other mine action partners. You can request an Explosive Hazard Assessment of a humanitarian site, support in Interagency Missions, or request an EORE session.
Interested in distributing EORE messages? We have materials to circulate - you should join a training with our EORE team to learn how to use these and relay messages effectively to beneficiaries.
FUNDING
Through collaboration with partners and donors, UNMAS remains committed to safeguarding civilian lives and securing a safer future for communities in the OPT. UNMAS OPT appeals to donors to continue supporting our work in providing a mine action response in Gaza and the West Bank. Invitations to provide further information about UNMAS requirements are welcome.
Data as of Aug 2025