Noor is a qualified Iraqi woman working in the Iraqi mine action sector. She joined an explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) team nine years ago with an international mine action NGO. Since then, she has been developing her skills to educate communities about explosive hazards. Noor later transitioned to a clearance team, participating in non-technical surveys and clearance activities. To advance her expertise, she pursued and received Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Level 1 and 2 certifications supported by UNMAS in Iraq. This qualified her for Level 3 EOD training at the EOD training school of the Ministry of Interior Baghdad, aiming to become a certified clearance team leader. In 2023, Noor achieved this goal, becoming a team leader with UNMAS Iraq’s national partner, Shareteah Humanitarian Organization (SHO), leading a team of five, including four deminers and one medical specialist in Sinjar, Ninawa governorate.
Safa is another competent Iraqi woman who started her career in the Iraqi humanitarian sector. Born and raised in a country facing multiple wars and conflicts, Safa was driven to take a role in humanitarian work. She engaged with NGOs and later joined the UN as national personnel. Safa developed her skills and enriched her experience by taking on different roles and positions until she stepped into the world of mine action through UNMAS Iraq, bringing with her 12 years of experience and a commitment to continue her career in this critical part of the humanitarian sector.
Both Noor and Safa excel in their respective roles by leveraging cross-functional collaboration. Safa ensures that the UNMAS programme management efforts align with humanitarian mine action goals, while Noor guarantees the technical aspects of mine action meet community needs and the necessary quality standards through collaboration. Despite working in different fields and in different roles, their ability to work effectively with different organizations highlights the importance of cross-functional collaboration in achieving an explosive ordnance-free Iraq, and ultimately safety for Iraqi communities.
