An estimated 1 million mines are burried under the soil of Somalia waiting to kill or maim with deadly precision any individual, soldier or civilian, who will tread on them. The problem is acute in N.W. Somalia and in the Gedo Region.
UNESCO and UNHCR N.W. Somalia signed an agreement dated December 11, 1993 which calls for the launching of a country-wide Somalia Mine Awareness Campaign (SMAC) in the formal and non-formal education sectors.
The production of the campaign materials in Somali which was entrusted to UNESCO EDC in Mogadishu in nearing completion. They consist of:
The SMAC materials was produced by UNESCO-Somalia with the assistance and under the technical supervision of the De-mining Unit of UNOSOMIII division and VIII Psychological Operations Battalion, US Army.
As part of UNESCO-Somalia's "Education for Peace" effort, the mine awareness material will get a wide distribution.
This information is from Rehabilitating Somalia's Education Sector: The role of UNESCO written by Gonzalo Retamal and M. Devadoss at Mogadishu in February 1994.