The Premier Humanitarian Mine/UXO Clearance NGO in Afghanistan

 

FUNDED

Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), was the first large scale  mine clearance organization to be established in Afghanistan, Afghanistan itself being the focus of the first large-scale humanitarian mine clearance program since the clearance of the World War II minefields, in the late 1940s. The organization was founded in October 1989, with just one 24-man team and 11 administrative and support staff, to clear high priority areas of mines and UXOs in Afghanistan.

Within the first year of operations the organization had expanded to 750 personnel. Since then, it has undergone significant changes and expansion and has developed into a highly organized and effective organization employing over 2000 personnel in humanitarian demining and non-demining humanitarian projects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Operational Capacity:

¨ Manual Clearance Teams                              25

¨ Explosive Ordnance Disposal                        12

¨ Mechanical Clearance Teams                        4

 

ATC, in its clearance operations, follows the priority system laid down by the United Nations’ MACA (Mine Action Center for Afghanistan) thus ensuring that the highest socio-economic impact is made and the greatest number of people will benefit. The organization will not clear areas where fighting is occurring, the security situation is uncertain, or where poppy cultivation is being undertaken.

The principal objective of ATC is the elimination of mines and UXOs within Afghanistan to reduce the number of casualties amongst the civilian population and to enable land to be returned to productive use, thus reducing reliance on international food aid.

To achieve its objectives ATC uses the most cost effective methods of clearance, whilst placing strongest emphasis on safety and quality assurance, to reduce casualties amongst de-miners and ensure that there are no “missed mines”.

Since its establishment, ATC has cleared 78.22 square kilometers of high priority mined areas and 188.26 square kilometers of battle area. Clearance of the above area has resulted in destruction of 2941 Anti Tank Mines (AT), 139.169 Anti Personnel Mines (APM) and 1.396.062 items of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).