Building safer communities through service and expertise.
Mine Detection and Dog Center (MDC) is an Afghan organization with a long history of work in mine action, K9 operations, security, health and education.
Discover MDCContact UsAn Afghan organization with a long-standing record of service.
MDC is a specialist Afghan organization with institutional experience and capabilities in four core sectors: Mine Action; Security, including Unarmed Guarding and K9 services; Health Services; and Education.
Established in 1989 with support from USAID under the auspices of UN-OCHA, The organization also obtained a security services licence to provide services to national and international organizations.
Over the years, MDC has implemented humanitarian mine-action operations and developed specialist capacities in mine detection, explosive ordnance detection, mechanical clearance, manual demining, canine training and K9 security operations. Its institutional experience also extends to health services and education.
MDC’s historical work has supported Afghan public institutions, humanitarian organizations, commercial operators and international partners. The project examples presented on this website describe historical experience and should not be read as a statement that every programme is currently active.
Four core sectors of expertise.
Mine Detection and Dog Center (MDC) is a specialist organization with experience and institutional capabilities across Mine Action, Security Services—including Unarmed Guarding and K9—Health Services, and Education.
Mine Action
MDC’s mine-action expertise supports safer communities and land through humanitarian mine-action work, mine detection, survey and related operational support.
- Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) operations
- Manual demining teams and mechanical clearance assets
- Mine Detection Dog (MDD) and Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) teams
- Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) detection
- Non-technical and technical survey support
Security Services
MDC has developed security-sector experience in the provision and management of protective services, including unarmed guarding and specialist K9 capabilities.
- Unarmed guarding services
- Explosive and narcotics detection K9 teams
- Canine training, deployment and operational support
- More than 1,784 dogs trained for different clients
- K9 support for public events and sensitive locations
Health Services
MDC’s organizational experience extends to health and medical service activities, with a focus on supporting access to essential services and community wellbeing.
- Medical and health services
- Health project support
- Community health-related initiatives
Education
MDC’s education-sector experience includes learning and development initiatives intended to strengthen knowledge, skills and institutional capacity.
- Education initiatives
- Training and skills development
- Capacity-building support
Security & K9 Services Now Delivered Through OHH
MDC’s security and K9 service activities are now carried out through Osman Hamza Hakimi (OHH), an affiliated organization led by the same management.
Building on MDC’s experience and institutional background in security and K9 operations, OHH continues these services under its own corporate identity.
Decades of operational experience in Afghanistan and beyond.
MDC has delivered humanitarian mine-action and canine programmes for governmental, humanitarian, commercial and international clients. Its historical work includes national projects and international assignments.
Mine Action & Development Support
MDC has implemented Humanitarian Mine Action operations using Mine Detection Dog (MDD) and Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) teams, mechanical clearance assets and manual demining teams. It has also trained and deployed MDD/EDD teams to detect Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), supporting mine-action NGOs and commercial operators across Afghanistan.
MDC has contributed to mine-action and K9-supported activities associated with major development corridors and infrastructure, including the Ring Road, power lines, Aynak Copper Mine and non-technical and technical surveys along the TAPI corridor.
Canine Training & K9 Programmes
From its training centre in Kabul, MDC reports having trained more than 1,784 dogs for different clients. Its historical canine capacity has supported humanitarian, commercial and government clients, including the Presidential Palace, Ministry of Defense, Afghan Air Force and Afghan Border Police.
MDC has also implemented canine projects in Afghanistan and internationally in Yemen, Tajikistan, Sudan and Azerbaijan. In these countries, MDC provided support to help establish and strengthen national K9 capacities, sharing technical knowledge and operational experience.
International Capacity Development & Humanitarian Mine Action
Beyond its work in Afghanistan, MDC has supported Yemen, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Sudan in establishing and strengthening K9 capacities. MDC has also provided assistance in the field of Mine Action in these countries, working in support of efforts led by United Nations agencies and other humanitarian partners.
Through this international cooperation, MDC contributed specialist expertise and operational support to humanitarian mine-action efforts intended to reduce the threat posed by mines and explosive remnants of war and help prevent civilian casualties.
K9 Security Programme – 2017 to 2021
Under a CSTC-A-funded Ministry of Interior security project, MDC supported diplomatic-area (Green Zone) security through 36 K9 team sets, comprising 108 explosive/narcotics detection dogs and narcotics detection dogs. MDC’s project records report that the teams checked 5,887,166 transport movements and approximately 72 million boxes and containers. During the project, teams detected 6,253 boxes containing explosives, 188 different types of weapons (light and heavy), and narcotics, which were handed over to the relevant authorities.
The programme contributed to a safer environment for diplomatic missions and international organizations in Kabul. This is presented as a historical project; it was discontinued following the collapse of the previous Afghan government.
Rapid Response & Public Events
MDC’s K9 quick-response teams historically supported national events and public gatherings, including Loya Jirgas, cultural and sporting events, and gatherings in halls and stadiums.
The project figures and descriptions above are drawn from MDC’s historical organizational records. They are presented as reported historical achievements and may be supplemented with project documentation and client references.
Moments from MDC’s history.
A selection of historical photographs supplied for the MDC website.
Institutional inauguration ceremonyUnveiling of an educational institution plaque in Afghanistan.
Institutional engagement and coordinationA formal meeting with institutional representatives and colleagues.
Stakeholder meetingA historical meeting bringing together Afghan and international participants.
Institutional partnership meetingA discussion with a visiting representative at an institutional office.
Contact MDC
For organizational enquiries, historical project information or further details about MDC, please contact the organization.