Deadly Attack on De-Miners in Afghanistan

UN-Backed Body Deplores Deadly Attack on De-Miners in Afghanistan

New York, Apr 12 2010 12:10PM A United Nations-backed umbrella body seeking to free Afghanistan from the dangers of unexploded mines today called on all sides to support “this important humanitarian work” after four de-miners were killed and 17 others injured in an attack yesterday.

“Mine action is a neutral humanitarian activity, which should not be confused with military operations in the country,” said Haider Reza, Programme Director of the Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA), which is supported by the Government and the UN and provides planning, management and quality assurance for all mine action activities throughout the country.

After decades of war, invasions and civil conflict, Afghanistan is one the one of the most heavily mine-infested countries in the world.

“We strongly condemn the use of all anti-personnel mines and other improvised explosive devices, which have led to such a high number of civilian deaths in this country already and will do for many years to come if humanitarian de-miners are prevented from carrying out this life-saving work,” Mr. Reza said.

“I call on all my fellow Afghans to support this important humanitarian work to protect Afghan men, women and children from the threat of landmines and other explosive remnants of war.”

Yesterday’s attack was launched against a team working for the Afghan non-governmental organization (NGO) DAFA in Kandahar in the south.

The Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan, the collective name for all organizations carrying out mine action in the country, has been working on the ground since 1988, removing over 15,000 hazard areas (minefields and battlefields) in the last 20 years. The programme is the largest in the world and employs over 10,000 Afghans in various capacitie.

Despite these achievements, there are still 2,082 contaminated communities in Afghanistan. Some 690 square kilometres of land containing 5,384 hazardous areas with different types of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines or littered with countless pieces of explosive remnants of war (ERW) still require clearance.

ENDS

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