The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), together with its partners, has launched a new demining project involving female teams and mine detection dogs for humanitarian demining in Ukraine. This initiative includes the deployment of 16 mine detection dogs and eight female dog handlers.
The project will focus on training and accrediting demining teams to conduct thorough inspections in previously occupied areas. The aim is to develop National Mine Action Standards incorporating the use of mine detection dogs. Over the next seven months, the teams plan to survey a total of 1.8 square kilometers of land in the Kharkiv region, facilitating the safe return of these lands to use.
The involvement of dogs is expected to significantly speed up the demining process in Ukraine: a fully trained service dog can inspect an area of 1,500 square meters per day, while a human deminer covers 20-50 square meters per day. The project is funded by the governments of the Netherlands and Spain. Learn more about the initiative at the provided link.
