Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE)
The term ‘Explosive Ordnance Risk Education’ (EORE) refers to activities which seek to reduce the risk of injury from explosive ordnance (EO) by raising awareness of women, girls, boys and men in accordance with their different vulnerabilities, roles and needs, and promoting behavioral change. (IMAS 12.10)
To complement mine clearance efforts, the five mine action operators (HALO, MAG, DASH, SHARP, and SLA – HDU) deliver EORE activities. These activities encompass various methods such as education & training, material distribution in print media, use of billboards, wall painting, house to house visits, and public information campaigns targeting affected communities, government officials, teachers, students and children’s clubs.
As of November 2023, a total of 1,074 EORE activities have been conducted, reaching out to a total of 68,043 women, men, girls, and boys in high-impact areas, as outlined in the table below. HALO, who initiated the EORE programme in 2015, has played a crucial role, accounting for 80% of both activities and beneficiaries.
| Operator* | Starting Year of EORE Programme | Number of EORE Activities | Number of women |
Number of girls (below 18 years old) |
Number of men |
Number of boys (below 18 years old) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HALO |
2015 |
878 |
14638 |
13037 |
13783 |
12434 |
|
DASH |
2020 |
102 |
998 |
4799 |
863 |
4621 |
|
MAG |
2021 |
74 |
332 |
782 |
439 |
810 |
|
SHARP |
2021 |
15 |
82 |
165 |
80 |
170 |
|
TOTAL |
1069 |
16050 |
18793 |
15165 |
18035 |
|
|
Operator*
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
TOTAL
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||||
*Data for SLA HDU was not available at the time of publication; it will be updated at a later time.
Over the past decade, Sri Lanka has witnessed a significant reduction in EO accidents. Recognizing the potential future limitations in funding for EORE, Sri Lanka has implemented key measures as part of a broader strategy to maintain sustainable capacity and data collection for effective EO contamination management.
These efforts include the integration of EORE into the school curriculum in the northern and eastern provinces. Training materials and tools for EORE were developed and disseminated in Tamil and Sinhala, enhancing outreach and effectiveness. Find below links to tools used by the mine action operators during EORE activities:
In addition, existing village development committees are mobilized to monitor EO risk in low-priority areas, while village mine action committees are supported in highly impacted areas. Data is available to inform planning for mine action because, in addition to IMSMA, an injury surveillance system has been established in the country, primarily to monitor road traffic accidents. The authorities agreed to include screening for EO incidents and, to date, the system is working well and is sustainable.