One of the greatest tragedies of the conflict in Kosovo is the battle remnants that lie scattered around the countryside: the mine fields laid by the Yugoslav army to prevent NATO from opening combat on the ground and the unexploded ordnance (UXO) dropped by NATO to force the Yugoslav army's departure from the province. They lie now as deadly artifacts, tripping up the unknowing and attracting the curious child. "Mine incidents," as they are dispassionately called, are still a hard fact of daily life in Kosovo.

A deminer and his mine-sniffing dog seek out land mines and unexploded ordnance.

The different military operations of NATO and the United Nations offices all support mine education and mine action (de-mining) programs in the province. But CARE is one of very few international humanitarian organizations that has linked mine education and mine action directly to its relief programs. This was my first program experience of this kind, and I learned a lot about the how these activities are conducted.

CARE's basic philosophy about mine education and mine action is that everyone must be educated of the danger while the mines themselves have to be identified and mapped. However, merely avoiding the known location of mines and UXOs is not enough. Frequently mines prevent families from entering homes, schools and roads from being used, or water systems from being repaired. To overcome this, the threat must be removed.

Here, a deminer probes the soil for a detected mine.

Our program in Kosovo has retained the services of MineTech, a private firm from Zimbabwe, with long experience in the mapping and removal of mines. MineTech staff have worked closely with CARE teams in all areas of Kosovo. The joint effort requires first that the program teams determine where they will be working -- which farm fields, which schools, what cluster of homes. The MineTech staff then verify the presence of ordnance and mark it for removal or destruction. They execute a highly rigid reconnaissance pattern with their dog teams -- specialized in identifying explosives -- and sweepers. Not one square inch is overlooked. For me there was a great reassurance in the commands of the trainers and the absolute strict discipline and professionalism of the teams. And their vigilance was rewarded. During my stay in Kosovo, they cleared many acres of farmland that were returned to winter wheat production, safely reopened schools, approved occupation of hundreds of homes and buildings and ensured safe travel on small roads and pathways in the southern part of the province.

Day 6