United Nations: Investing in mine clearance is an investment in peace and the lives of millions of affected people

At a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Kazumi Ogawa, the newly appointed director of the department, said that the work of this UN agency is guided by the needs of communities affected by risks caused by explosives – including protecting civilians and enabling peacekeeping and humanitarian operations.

She said that the agency also plays a vital role in advocating respect for international law, as well as raising awareness about… “What it means to live in a community contaminated by unexploded ordnance and landmines”; It is the main goal that you seek to achieve through International Day of Mine Awareness Corresponding to 4 April.

Afghanistan – third highest mine casualties

Ogawa was joined via videoconference from Kabul by Afghanistan’s Head of Mine Action, Nick Bond, who highlighted the dire situation facing the country.

He pointed out that Afghanistan is recording “Third highest rate of injuries resulting from explosive ordnance in the world.” – After Myanmar and Syria – where about 50 people are killed or injured every month, and children constitute approximately 80% of these victims.

And he said: “There are more than 1,000 square kilometers of land known to be contaminated in Afghanistan; the equivalent of an area of ​​more than 140,000 football fields. Nearly three million people, nearly 900 educational facilities, and more than 200 healthcare facilities are known to be within one kilometer of explosive ordnance contamination areas. However, these numbers may be much higher, as many areas have not yet been fully surveyed.”

He added that the biggest challenge facing this sector in the country is the lack of funding, which has led to a decrease in the number of its employees from 15,000 people in 2011 to only 1,300 people this month.

And he said: “Combined with the return of nearly 2.8 million refugees from neighboring countries over the past year, earthquakes and floods, and the continuing conflict with Pakistan, the Afghan people are facing extremely difficult times.”

Bond pointed out that Afghanistan has a wealth of experience in this field, in addition to the sector receiving support from de facto authorities, and improved access to most parts of the country.

He stressed that increased funding may be available ‘A very real opportunity’ For the Afghan people to restore their livelihoods without being hampered by the remnants of war.

A global problem

For his part, Paul Hislop, Special Advisor to the United Nations Mine Action Service in Ukraine, said that removing mines and unexploded ordnance represents the first and essential step in the recovery process, both inside and outside the country.

He stressed that the challenges posed by mines are not limited to Ukraine only, but rather their long-term global effects extend beyond the borders of countries witnessing conflicts. This is clearly evident in the current situation in Iran, from energy and food prices, to economic confidence, to environmental impacts.

He added: “In the midst of all these conflicts around the world, we must be in a position, once it is safe to operate, to enter affected areas to carry out humanitarian demining, conduct recovery operations, and rebuild local and global economies.”

Beyond demining

While Hislop acknowledged the importance of removing millions of unexploded ordnance that contaminate various areas across Ukraine, he emphasized that mine action goes much beyond that.

He noted, for example, that there are more than 60,000 people who have lost limbs as a result of the war in Ukraine – most of them men between the ages of 25 and 55 – and whose care is likely to be taken over by the women and girls in their lives once the guns fall silent.

He wondered, saying: “What are we doing now to help prepare these women to deal with the trauma they will have to face?”

He stated that clearance operations are only one of the five pillars of mine action – which also include risk education, victim assistance, advocacy work, and stockpile destruction – and all of these pillars are essential to life-saving efforts, and they require a much lower financial investment compared to the high costs resulting from not dealing with this issue properly.

Entrepreneurial work in Ukraine

Hislop pointed to new technologies in mine action that are currently being proven and trialled in Ukraine, including the use of artificial intelligence and drone technology.

He gave the example of a system developed in collaboration with Ukrainian state emergency services, where more than 30,000 square kilometers of land were assessed and cleared, adding: “This is an area equivalent to 30 billion square meters of land, and it was safely returned at a cost of about one hundred thousand dollars; this is perhaps the most effective mine action project the United Nations has ever undertaken.”

He urged more investments in the field of technology, noting that the experience gained in Ukraine could be replicated in other places such as Syria and Sudan, which would dramatically accelerate the pace of the mine clearance process and enhance its cost-effectiveness.

However, he added: “But we need this investment today; we need someone to build on the success we have achieved, and for no one to lose sight of how important mine action is. I think International Mine Awareness Day, which falls on April 4, is always a great time to remind ourselves of that fact.”