Clearing Ordnance in My Own Backyard (Albania)

In 1997, in the Kordhoc area of Albania, two separate munitions storage units exploded. The army conducted some initial surface clearance but civilians in the area remained severely affected. Not until July 2016 did additional clearance begin, spearheaded by NPA in partnership with ITF.

Since 2000 Malo Buci has lived in a house near the explosion site. His house is inside the NPA clearance zone, surrounded by ammunition on and below surface. This is his firsthand account of NPA clearance activities and the effect it has had on his livelihood and quality of life:

“When I first started living in this area, all the land was contaminated. You could see different UXO widespread on the ground. At the time no one was cleaning the area. I had to gather all the devices around the house and notify the army or police to come and take them. All this initial clearance was done by me. I would not allow my wife or daughter to clean, because I was worried for their safety. I was able to clean the garden around the house, but there were still a lot of devices outside the garden. I thus don’t allow my children to play outside because there are a lot of safety issues and concerns that I have. When we want to plant vegetables or fruits, I am always doing it. I am worried that a member of my family during planting will find a device under the surface…I am happy that all the area is finally being cleared by people that are specialized for this job and have the necessary and appropriate equipment.

The clearance is providing significant benefits to me and my family. The clearance will give more opportunity for my family and other people to access safe land, and I will no longer need to worry about safety of my loved ones.”

By October 2016, NPA had removed 320 items of UXO from the area, including hand grenades, projectiles, and fuzes.

Malo Buci discusses with NPA how uncleared UXO has impacted his family.

Photo courtesy of NPA.