Iraq’s Ministry of Environment has prepared what it calls a comprehensive national strategic plan to address landmines and unexploded ordnance using modern technologies, as the country remains among the world’s most heavily contaminated, with nearly 35,000 Iraqis killed or injured by explosive remnants by the end of 2022 and around 8.5 million people still living under some level of threat.
The plan is based on humanitarian and development priorities with a focus on restoring life to affected areas and ensuring the safe return of citizens. Field surveys have been carried out “to determine the scale and type of contamination and establish accurate databases for areas contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, with the aim of facilitating clearance operations and directing efforts according to levels of danger and population density.”
Read more…
Source: +964 News
Related:
- 27 Iraqi mine action experts under training in Cambodia
May 27, 2019
Twenty-seven Iraqi mine action experts started to get a 15-day training course in Cambodia on Monday, Heng Ratana, director general of the Cambodian Mines Action Center (CMAC) said. The Iraqi experts are from the Ministry of Health and Environment, the Ministry of Interior and the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency, he said. He added that the training ...
- Experiencing the work of a landmine clearance charity
May 24, 2019
Even though I was told it was safe, holding an Islamic State group (IS) homemade explosive was still unnerving. Half an hour earlier it had been buried in the ground on the outskirts of the Iraqi city of Fallujah. It was made up of two pieces of wood with bits of cut-up hosepipe. A length of wire ...
- Statement on New Use of Anti-Personnel Mines, Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meeting
May 23, 2019
Let me start by giving some context on the new use of antipersonnel mines worldwide. In recent years, since the last Review Conference, the use of antipersonnel mines by government forces has been rare. In most years, only one or two governments used mines—Myanmar and Syria – and neither of them used large numbers of ...
- Explosive hazards in Mosul a major threat for years to come
April 29, 2019
The classroom of 13-year-old boys was vibrant, filled with energy, as the final lesson of the day began, addressing a serious topic. One of the guest instructors held up posters of various suspicious objects. Some were more obviously mortars or hand grenades, but others appeared to be fun things, such as toys and dolls. Representatives from the United Nations ...
