An MoU of joint cooperation was signed between ANDMA and ICRC in Afghanistan to establish a database for registering information on mine victims

Today, on Wednesday, the Acting Head of Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, Alhaj Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, met with the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan, Ms. Katarina Ritz, her advisor Ezzat Gul and the Coordinator of the Explosive Ordnance Section, Frédéric Marie Faust. The meeting took place in the presence of the Director of Mine Action Coordination, Qari Nooruddin Rustamkhil and the Director of International Relations of the Authority, Maulvi Abdul Rahman Rahmani, during which the memorandum of joint cooperation was signed.
During the meeting, Alhaj Turabi Sahb welcomed the Red Cross delegation and stated that he was fully aware of all the principles of the Red Cross, and this committee had provided extensive assistance to the people of Afghanistan from the past until today, for which they are grateful.
The Acting Head of Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority also expressed gratitude to the ICRC for its cooperation in mine clearance activities, noting, "Mine clearance is one of the fundamental duties of this authority and we must maintain close collaboration and utilize each other’s resources to serve the people." He further requested their participation in the authority’s technical committee, which was jointly established with other institutions, emphasizing that this committee should cooperate with the authority not only in mine clearance but also in other areas, in accordance with internal principles.
Meanwhile, Ms. Katarina Ritz, The Head of ICRC in Afghanistan, thanked Alhaj Turabi Sahb for facilitating this meeting and said, "I closely monitor the mine clearance activities of this authority and have concluded that this sector has achieved significant accomplishments in its operations."
The Red Cross Head added, "The primary goal of our work is to assist mine victims, and their personal information must be shared and recorded in a way that does not entail legal liability." She further noted that the committee’s technical team would be introduced to Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority to determine the areas in which cooperation could be pursued.
It is worth mentioning that, under this memorandum, ICRC will maintain close and continuous communication with the Directorate of Mine Action Coordination. All personal information of victims of mines and unexploded ordnance, along with the time and location of incidents, will be handed over to this directorate, which will store the data in the IMSMA (Information Management System for Mine Action) for future use.

March 19th, 2025
Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority - ANDMA