Ethiopia has requested the UN to again extend a deadline to clear landmines left strewn by wars old and new, placing people at risk on more than 125 million hectares of land. Ethiopia acceded to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) in 2004 and was initially obligated to clear all known contamination before June 2015—a deadline that proved unattainable due to insecurity, funding constraints, and limited capacity.
Earlier this month, Ethiopia’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva lodged a revised and detailed request for another five-year extension. The request indicates that COVID-19, funding shortfalls, and new conflicts in the country have introduced new layers of contamination and posed significant risks to the safety of teams accessing contaminated areas, preventing progress. Repotedly mine action activities over 2026 and 2027 will require close to USD 31 million.
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Source: The Reporter News
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