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Help MLI put "paws on the ground" to "clear a path to safety" this Giving Tuesday. In the wake of ongoing conflict, landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) pose a deadly threat to men, women, and children in Lebanon. The Lebanese Mine Action Center (LMAC) urgently needs new Mine Detection Dogs (MDDs) to replace retiring dogs and respond to these dangers. These highly trained dogs will clear paths to safety, ensuring civilians can return home and rebuild their lives in peace.
Your Giving Tuesday gift can provide an MDD to LMAC, helping save lives and restore stability to mine-affected communities. Together, we can turn danger zones into safe havens.
Since 2001, MLI has partnered with LMAC to provide 41 life-saving MDDs and Explosive Detection Dogs (EDDs). Over the past 23 years, these remarkable dogs have played a critical role in detecting landmines and UXO left behind from decades of conflict. Today, LMAC deploys four active MDDs and one EDD in their vital humanitarian demining and explosive detection operations.
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As two of these hero dogs approach retirement, LMAC has urgently called for new K9s to maintain their essential capacity. This need has become even more pressing due to the current conflict, which has significantly increased UXO contamination and forced people to move through mine-affected areas. Supporting this effort is crucial to protecting lives and ensuring safer pathways for communities rebuilding after conflict.
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Background on Landmine Clearance in Lebanon
Lebanon has endured decades of conflict, leaving a devastating legacy of landmines and UXO. These remnants, scattered across the country, stem from a series of conflicts, including the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the Israeli-Lebanese conflicts, and internal strife. Landmines and UXO remain hidden hazards, threatening lives, livelihoods, and the development of communities long after fighting ends.
The impact of these explosive remnants is far-reaching:
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Human Lives: Civilians, particularly children, face daily risks of injury or death while walking to school, farming, or simply returning to their homes.
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Economic Hardship: Agricultural lands, vital to rural livelihoods, often remain unusable due to contamination, perpetuating cycles of poverty.
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Displacement and Recovery: Families displaced by conflict struggle to rebuild their lives in areas riddled with danger. The fear of mines hinders resettlement and reconstruction.
Over the years, Lebanon has made strides in mine clearance through partnerships with organizations like MLI. MDDs, paired with skilled handlers, have been critical in this effort, using their incredible sense of smell to locate landmines quickly and efficiently. This work has allowed many families to safely return to their homes and revitalized once-abandoned farmland.
Deploying new MDDs to Lebanon is vital to address these challenges. With your support, we can provide the tools needed to ensure safe, rapid responses to UXO threats, paving the way for families to rebuild their lives free from fear.
The Current Crisis and the Need for Action
The ongoing conflict in the region has introduced new challenges. The recent surge in UXO contamination exacerbates existing dangers, particularly as civilians prepare to return to affected areas. The movement of displaced populations through rural, mine-impacted zones further underscores the urgency to expand clearance efforts.
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Share MLI's "Paws on Ground: Clearing Paths to Safety" campaign to sponsor a mine detection dog for Lebanon with your social media community! Together, we can make a lasting impact.
*MLI is a humanitarian organization dedicated to alleviating suffering and fostering hope, growth, and stability. We stand firmly against conflict, dedicating our mission to safeguarding lives and fostering safer, brighter futures for all those impacted by its aftermath.