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Post-disaster Needs Assessment
NPA and ICRC report on mine/UXO situation with focus on
communities affected by flood in Bosanska Posavina region
Executive summary .................................................................................................................. 2 Background .............................................................................................................................. 3 Overall situation in BiH ............................................................................................................. 3 General comments ................................................................................................................... 4 Field visit and data collection in Bosanska Posavina ............................................................... 5 Case studies on EOD interventions ......................................................................................... 6 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 7 The report was jointly prepared by the Darvin Lisica, NPA Regional Director SEE,
Amela Balic, NPA Operations Manager and Lejla Susic, ICRC Weapon Contamination
Advisor
10 June 2014
1
Executive summary
NPA and ICRC representatives are members of post-disaster needs assessment team
related to mine action. It was agreed with the UNDP, that the Norwegian People’s Aid
(further refer as NPA) and International Committee of the Red Cross (further refer as ICRC)
together with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre (BHMAC) as one of the subgroup mentioned above, will cover the area of Bosanska Posavina regions.
According to the field assessment in the given municipalities, there is moderate risk of mines
migration. “Massive migration of mines” seems media driven myth. However, it could be
concluded that consequences of flooding are multiplying negative impact on communities
affected by landmines, cluster munitions and other ERW. It is problem of long term
amplification of social, economic and environmental impacts of mine, cluster munition end
ERW hazard that endangered communities directly.
Focus of further efforts should be on re-assessment through non-technical survey of situation
in flooded/landslide area as soon as possible, including emergency intervention of disposal
of unexploded ordnances (EOD), marking, mine risk education. Based on needs defined by
Demining Commission and BHMAC, NPA could engage 5 non-technical survey teams (10
surveyors) and 1 EOD team for 6 months.
Mines moved with landslides are environmentally limited problem. Re-assessment is
necessary to define where they are, what depth of mines is etc. Landslides clearance needs
heavy machinery which is new dimension of operational assessment where survey teams
don’t have enough experience. The question is: Are landslides top priority for demining
because they are still not stable and re-building of houses is not option within them.
Emergency demining based on pure data inputs is not option, except in situation where
access road to villages or infrastructure reconstruction etc is blocked. Re-assessment is
necessary before decision whether problem will be solved through demining or EOD
interventions.
Solution to solve problem with minefields that are affected by flood/erosion could be mobile
teams capable for good assessment, targeted investigation and demining of small
contaminated areas.
As soon as possible, national authorities have to establish regular priority setting system that
also includes impact of consequences caused by flood.
Background
Post-disaster needs assessment of international organisation started in BiH and will be
common position of UN, EU and World Bank. NPA and ICRC representatives are members
of post-disaster needs assessment team related to mine action. It was agreed with the
UNDP, that the Norwegian People’s Aid (further refer as NPA) and International Committee
of the Red Cross (further refer as ICRC) together with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine
Action Centre (BHMAC) as one of the sub-group mentioned above, will cover the area of
Bosanska Posavina regions (municipalities of Šamac (RS), Domaljevac Šamac (FBiH),
Orašje (FBiH), Odžak (FBiH) and Brčko District) where they will establish the facts based on
information from the field (par example, if marking is still in place etc). In addition, the team
will gather the data and examine some cases (samples) where the landmines were found
and where it is obvious that there has been a shift out of minefields (potential new location of
mines, if any). This information will serve for prioritisation of tasks for post-assessment
response and how to translate “Build back better” into mine action.
Overall situation in BiH
Vast parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been affected by the worst flooding in over a
century, following several days of torrential rain. Three hundred litres of rain per square
meter over short period hit the eastern, central and north part of the country, with waters
submerging entire cities. While the water levels went down and most rivers have receded to
their riverbeds, the part of the region along Sava and Bosna river remains flooded. However,
landslides and debris present a great threat in area hit by floods. According to the last
information from the BiH Army, presented during the UN IC coordination meeting, 13,200
km2 of territory has been flooded with 100,000 households, and, 1,300,000 BiH populations
suffers the consequences from flooding.
According to the UN/BHMAC 800km2 of mine-suspected areas were impacted by floods.
70% of flood-affected areas are suspected to contain mines and UXOs. Doboj, Maglaj,
Olovo, Una-Sana Canton and Posavina regions at the basin of Bosna, Krivaja and Usora
rivers have been identified as mine and UXOs suspected areas (BHMAC and Civil
Protection).
In addition, unexploded ordnance (UXO) pose a great threat, and they were found in
Bijeljina, Konjević Polje, Ključ, Žepče, Sarajevo Canton. However, it should be mentioned
that sporadic reports of UXOs and mines being discovered throughout the flood affected
areas. At the moment no casualties from mines/UXO were recorded. So far, two explosions
were recorded in Brčko and Papratnica.
Beside the Amnesty Law on ammunition and still on-going SALW collection campaign
throughout the country, the Civil Protection and other demining organisations involved in
clearance in flooded areas find different weapons in the houses and basements, which mean
that people still possess considerable quantity of illegal weapons.
According to the UN/BHMAC reports, there is a high risk of mine migration from minefields
due to the floods and landslides. As a response, the UNDP call for an International mine
action assessment that was created from the internationals (consist of US, EU, EUFOR, NPA
and ICRC supported by the BHMAC). In addition to the above, the UNDP engaged Mine
Action expert to develop methodology and priority actions once the International mine action
assessment teams collect the data and information (preliminary results of mine/UXO affected
areas/mines migration) from the field.
General comments
Consequences of flooding are multiplying negative impact on communities affected by
landmines, cluster munitions and other ERW. They also have negative impact on past mine
action interventions in affected communities; especially negate effect of mine action
objectives related to safety of population, agricultural income of households, and sustainable
returning of refugees and IDPs. This will have negative effect on efficiency of land release in
future mine action operations, particularly assessment of mine hazard and use of available
resources for demining of ground contaminated with different chemicals. This negative effect
is not about losses and damages for households caused by flood. It is problem of long term
amplification of social, economic and environmental impacts of mine, cluster munition end
ERW hazard that endangered communities directly.
Limited emergency demining to repair infrastructure or to open access road to villages
affected by flood or landslides are reasonable as immediate response in terms of size of area
for clearance. As soon as possible, national authorities have to establish regular priority
setting system that also includes impact of consequences caused by flood.
Changes of mine situation as a result of highly erosion of riverbanks are different problem
then slow flooding. Erosion of riverbank could move mines, usually in basin of river. This
movement of mines is most probable, bigger problem than in slow flooded area because of
the lack of possibility for accurate assessment of new position of mines. Again, reassessment is necessary before decision, whether problem will be solved through demining
or EOD interventions. Solution could be to form mixed and mobile teams capable for good
assessment, targeted investigation and demining.
Mines moved with landslides are environmentally limited problem. Re-assessment is
necessary to define where they are, what depth of mines is etc. Landslides clearance needs
heavy machinery which is new dimension of operational assessment where survey teams
don’t have enough experience. The question is: Are landslides top priority for demining
because they are still not stable and re-building of houses is not option within them.
Situation with minefields in flooded areas of Posavina is unclear because of lack of access to
make preliminary assessment of situation during rapid response. “Massive migration of
mines” seems media driven myth. Re-assessment of mine situation in flooded areas,
marking, Mine Risk Education (MRE) and emergency EOD operation is an option for
Bosanska Posavina, before organising planned demining activities.
Field visit and data collection in Bosanska Posavina
On 03.06.2014 the NPA/ICRC team visited region of Bosanska Posavina were the NPA is
conducting urgent mine action in Bosanska Posavina (survey, marking, mine risk education,
explosive ordnance disposal). NPA EOD has been responding call for urgent EOD
intervention in flooded areas in the municipality of Šamac and Brčko District. The NPA MRE
team have been collecting the information on mines and ERW in flooded areas, informing
population in flooded areas, as well as distributing awareness leaflets to population.
Table 1: Overview of NPA activities on urgent mine action in Bosanska Posavina
Activity
Explosive ordinance
disposal (EOD)
Mine risk education (MRE)
No. teams
deployed
CommunitiesMunicipalities
Results
1
Škarići, Pisari, Tišina –
Šamac; Gonji Vukšić,
Marković Polje - Brčko
District
Disposed 5 x AP
mines, 26 x
UXO,
718 x small
ammunitions
1
Grebnice in Domaljevac –
Šamac; Donji Rahić,
Dubrave, Donji Vukšić,
Gornji Vukšić in Brčko
Dsitrict,
339 people are
informed
Šamac municipality
Eleven (11) local communities (Tišina, Tursinovac, Grebnice, Brvnik, Batkuša, Šamac town,
Pisari, Zasavica, Crkvina, Donji Hasić and Gornji Hasić) in the municipality of Samac, are
within mine suspected areas. Out of that number, four (4) local communities namely
Tursinovac, Grebnice, Brvnik and the part of Šamac town are still not accessible due to the
floods.
On the part of the area from which the water receded we noticed the mine signs placed prior
to the floods. However, on one part, at the mouth of the river Bosnia, where the torrent was
strongest, and the area was previously marked as suspicious, there was a lack of marking. In
local communities Tursinovac and Grebnice marking has moved to the East and to the
South.
Domaljevac-Šamac municipality
Four (4) local communities are within mine suspected areas and three (3) of them (Grebnice,
Domaljevac and part of the village Brvnik) are still not accessible.
Orašje municipality
Thirteen (13) local communities (Tolisa, Bukova Greda, Oštra Luka, Donja Mahala, Ugljara,
Kostrč, Kopanice, Vidovice, Draganovci Gajevi, industial zone Orašje, Jenjic and Lepnice)
are within mine suspected areas. Out of that number, seven (7) local communities namely
Tolisa, Bukova Greda, Oštra Luka, Donja Mahala, Kostrč, Kopanice and Vidovice are still not
partly accessible due to the floods.
In the local community Kopanice, (mouth of the Bosna river) there is obvious indication of
disturb ground within mined area and mine marking moved to the south and entered to the
settlement.
Brčko District
Fifteen (15) flooded local communities are within mine suspected areas, but only three (3) of
them are not accessible (Vučilovac, Krepšić and Gorice).
In addition to the above, in Brčko District along the rivers Tinja, Lomnica and Zovičica,
BHMAC/NPA general survey team made inspections and placed the new mine signs.
Odžak municipality
Six (6) local communities are within mine suspected area, while two (2) of them (Prud and
Donja Dubica) are still not accessible.
In local community Prud there is obvious indication of disturbed ground within mined area.
Marking is not in place and has moved toward the West and the South.
Case studies on EOD interventions
In the period from 20th May to the 3rd June, the NPA EOD team has 9 EOD interventions in
flooded areas in the municipalities of Šamac, Brčko District. NPA EOD team disposed 5
mines and 34 other explosive remnants in the municipality of Šamac and District Brčko
Out of these 9 interventions, within 6 interventions there are possibilities that water flooding
has brought mines and UXO that have been found. A total of five (5) antipersonnel mines
were located in three cases/locations, as follows:
1. 23rd May, location Škarići-Šamac, AP mine PMR-2A x 1
Disposed antipersonnel mine PMR –2A and hand grenade BR-M52P3 Mine was without the
fuse, wooden holder stick was broken. It was obvious that flood has brought the mine on that
position. Hand grenade was in original box, so assumption is that somebody put hand
grenade behind the mine. Flooding of the river Bosna in this area was extremely huge, and
the torrent was strong. Position of mine is away of the suspected hazardous areas, 2,9 km
from the mine suspected hazardous areas that can be related to this mine, considering the
direction of flooding. In case like this EOD response is only relevant.
2. 28th May, location Tišina-Šamac, AP mine PMA-3 x 3
Mines were armed. Mines were found by locals, who noticed them floating in backyard. No
doubt, that mines were brought by floods on that position. As in previous case flooding of the
river Bosna in this area was extremely huge. Position of mine is away of the suspected
hazardous areas, 3,2 km from the mine suspected hazardous areas that can be related to
this mine considering the direction of flooding. In case like this EOD response is only
relevant.
3. 28th May, location Marković Polje-Brčko District, AP mine PMA-3 x 1
Mine was without the fuse. Found in agricultural area, close to the river Lomnica. There is
possibility that mine was brought by floods of river Lomnica from the mine suspected
hazardous areas around 60 m far on south-west and south. EOD response is relevant, but
also considering the proximity of mine suspected hazardous areas and in situation when
torrent was strong additional re-assessment of mine situation should be applied.
Conclusions
According to the field assessment in the given municipalities, there is moderate risk of mines
migration. Because of the general mine situation in the country, during this floods disaster,
the media overestimated the threat from mines migration. However, it could be concluded
that consequences of flooding are multiplying negative impact on communities affected by
landmines, cluster munitions and other ERW. It is problem of long term amplification of
social, economic and environmental impacts of mine, cluster munition end ERW hazard that
endangered communities directly.
Focus of further efforts should be on re-assessment through non-technical survey of situation
in flooded/landslide area as soon as possible, including emergency intervention of disposal
of unexploded ordnances (EOD), marking, mine risk education. Based on needs defined by
Demining Commission and BHMAC, NPA could engage 5 non-technical survey teams (10
surveyors) and 1 EOD team for 6 months. NPA have been supporting BHMAC with nontechnical survey teams since 2005. Additional non-technical survey team will support
BHMAC to assess mine threat in flooded regions of Bosanska Posavina (Posavina Canton,
Brcko District and Samac), Doboj region and central Bosnia. EOD team will be available for
urgent intervention on collection of mines, unexploded ordnances and ammunition as well as
hand grenades from citizens in Bosanska Posavina region.
Emergency demining based on pure data inputs is not an option, except in situation where
access road to villages or infrastructure reconstruction etc is blocked. Re-assessment is
necessary before decision whether problem will be solved through demining or EOD
interventions.
Mines moved with landslides are environmentally limited problem. Re-assessment is
necessary to define where they are, what depth of mines is etc. Landslides clearance needs
heavy machinery which is new dimension of operational assessment where survey teams
don’t have enough experience. The question is: Are landslides top priority for demining
because they are still not stable and re-building of houses is not option within them.
Solution to solve the problem with minefields that are affected by flood/erosion could be a
reason to create/form mobile teams capable for good assessment, targeted investigation and
demining of small contaminated areas. As soon as possible, national authorities have to
establish regular priority setting system that also includes impact of consequences caused by
flood.

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