Introduction
Just outside the village of Goran in northern Iraq, the agricultural lands of Qazikhan - a farming area in Kirkuk governorate''''s Shwan district - are seeing farmers return to fields untouched for decades. This Kurdish agricultural community quietly demonstrates how clearing land mines does more than remove dangers - it restores the local farming lifestyle.
Before 1988, these fields sustained generations of local families through wheat and barley cultivation and livestock grazing. This changed when the former Iraqi government converted the farmland into a heavily mined defensive line. The transformation forced farming families to abandon their fields, leaving behind their livelihoods and long-established farming traditions.
The mines claimed multiple victims among farmers who risked working their land to support their families. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the contaminated fields created an impossible situation for local farmers, either abandon their primary source of income or risk their lives trying to cultivate dangerous land. These risks led to tragic consequences for many families in the community, including that of Siwa Mohammed’s.
History
The process of reclaiming Qazikhan''''s farmlands began October 14, 2018, when the U.S. Department of State PM/WRA initiated a comprehensive mine clearance project through the Mine Advisory Group (MAG). The operation, which concluded on June 23, 2022, systematically removed all explosive ordnance from the area. The scale and complexity of the task became evident as work progressed, with teams having to clear both anti-personnel mines and other unexploded ordnance scattered across agricultural fields and grazing lands.
After Clearance
The impact of the clearance reached beyond safety statistics. As mine-free land was handed back to the community,long- displaced families began returning to resume their agricultural work, transforming cleared fields back into productive farmland. Local landowners like Karim Ahmed Sulayman witnessed this revival firsthand.
Success Story
The successful clearance of Qazikhan represents a meaningful step in one of the world''''s most complex mine action challenges. According to the Landmine Monitor Report 2023, Iraq grapples with more than 1,700 square kilometers of contaminated land—an area larger than Greater London—with 1,189 square kilometers affected by antipersonnel mines and an additional 530 square kilometers contaminated by improvised explosive devices.
This contamination, stemming from conflicts across four decades, continues to deny communities access to farmland, threatening food security and impeding economic recovery. This contamination, stemming from conflicts across four decades, continues to deny communities access to farmland, threatening food security and impeding economic recovery. Qazikhan''''s transformation shows how clearance work can revitalize entire communities
Team Work
The success of the Qazikhan mine clearance project, which transformed abandoned farmland into a thriving agricultural community, demonstrates the profound impact that such initiatives can have. This work was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Department of State PM/WRA, the Mine Advisory Group (MAG), and local community members and leaders. Looking ahead, iMMAP Inc. Iraq hopes to build on this progress by providing critical Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) support for ongoing mine clearance activities across Iraq.
By verifying the quality and effectiveness of these efforts, iMMAP Inc. will help ensure that more communities like Qazikhan can safely reclaim their land, revive local agricultural livelihoods, and restore a sense of hope and resilience in the face of the country''''s lingering contamination challenges.
Project Overview - Humanitarian Mine Action: Third Party Monitoring
The Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) program in Iraq has received assistance from the US Department of State’s Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRA). iMMAP Inc., as WRA Third Party Monitoring partner, monitors and verifies USA-funded Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) activities in the country. By collecting and analyzing field data at regularly scheduled intervals, iMMAP Inc. provides WRA with a realistic picture of the program''''s progress, compliance with standard operating procedures and immediate outcomes of activities.