MAG is delighted to announce that our amazing supporters have raised more than £150,000 to help support our work responding to the urgent landmine crisis in north-east Nigeria.
Our response to the emergency includes delivering life-saving lessons to women, girls, men and boys across the conflict-affected region.
Now in its twelfth year, the fighting involving Boko Haram, other non-state armed groups and security forces has become a major regional conflict, increasing in intensity since 2014 and spreading to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
The fighting has left north-east Nigeria contaminated with a range of explosive items including improvised landmines and other explosive devices. These pose a significant threat to the lives of people living in or moving through affected areas, as well as to humanitarian workers.
MAG releases new 'Hidden Scars - The Landmine Crisis in north-east Nigeria' report
Read more
At the end of last year, MAG released the Hidden Scars - The Landmine Crisis in north-east Nigeria report which exposed the devastating impact of the conflict. It uncovered 1,052 casualties from 697 accidents involving landmines and unexploded bombs between January 2016 and August 2020, including 408 deaths and 644 injuries.
The crisis hit a peak of one casualty every day for the first 15 weeks of 2020. Nigeria now has the fifth highest rate of landmine casualties globally.
MAG’s life-saving lessons to women, girls, men and boys on how to recognise, avoid and report the explosive threats.
© MAG/KC Nwakalor
Maimuna receives lifesaving lessons
Read her story
“I wanted to tell you exactly what these lessons mean for children here," explains MAG Nigeria's community liaison team leader Zainab Wasiri. "My proudest moment was when a young boy came back to one of my lessons to tell me and some other children that he had found an unexploded bomb and instantly recognised it. He knew from the lesson I gave that this wasn’t a toy and he must not touch it."
"That lesson saved a life. This is what your gift makes possible.”
Zainab WasiriMAG Nigeria community liaison team leader
Thank you to everyone who was able to support MAG’s life-saving work in north-east Nigeria. Everyone has the right to live in safety and free from fear and, together, that is what we can help provide for women, girls, men and boys in north-east Nigeria.
Together, we are helping people affected by conflict to stay safer, and build a better future.
