WFP is using experts from the Swiss Federation for Mine Action to survey, and when necessary clear, and other unexploded ordinance mines in western, central and northern Afghanistan.

The team, led in the north by veteran French deminer Patrick Hirard, is ensuring that routes, warehouses and offices used by WFP are free of mines and unexploded ordinances (UXO).

On February 6, a 500lb UXO, buried eight metres underground, was defused just 400 metres from WFP's Hirat office, as well as in Maimana in the north west and Bamyan in Central Afghanistan.

Also in February, the demining team cleared UXOs and mines at Hairaton port, north of Mazar-I-Sharif along the Afghan border with Uzbekistan.

WFP is working in close coordination with UN OCHA and UN MACA on this project.