UN: Mine action is concrete step
towards peace, development’
Deminers in action in the West Bank. |
After 2 decades of steadily diminishing casualty numbers,
people being killed or injured by explosive hazards has leapt to a reported
high of 8600 per year.
By Robin Gomes
As the world marked the International Mine Awareness Day on
Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged
governments to provide political and financial support to keep up the vital
work of mine action wherever it is needed.
In a video message for the annual April 4 observance, the UN
chief spoke about how mines prevent works of peace and development.
“An unprecedented volume of landmines and unexploded weapons
contaminates rural and urban war zones, maiming and killing innocent
civilians long after conflict has ended,” Guterres said.
On December 8, 2005, the UN General Assembly designated
April 4 each year as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in
Mine Action.
The theme for this year’s observance was, “Advancing
Protection, Peace and Development.”
Noting that that roads cleared of explosive devices enable
peacekeepers to patrol and protect civilians, Guterres stressed that mine
action is vital. He said that when “fields are cleared and schools
and hospitals are made safe normal life can resume.”
Syria
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) particularly appealed for Syria on the International
Mine Awareness Day saying mine clearance there is a matter of urgency.
They said more than 8 million people in Syria,
including over 3 million children, are exposed to explosive hazards.
Deadly legacy
British actor Daniel Craig, known for his role
as James Bond, who is the UN Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and
other Explosive Hazards, stated that landmines, grenades, missiles and other
explosive weapons are a “deadly legacy” of conflict in places such as Cambodia,
Somalia, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He noted that “after 2 decades of steadily diminishing
casualty numbers, people being killed or injured by explosive hazards has leapt
to a reported high of 8600 per year.” He regarded this “an
unimaginable figure and almost certainly an undercount”.
Deminers and educators
Craig said that on International Mine Awareness Day, the
world remembers and pays tribute to the thousands of teachers providing risk
education, and the deminers around the globe who devote their lives to making
the world a safer place — not just for now but for generations to
come.
According to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), mine
action, including clearance, risk education and assistance to victims is
critical for advancing protection, peace and development.
According to the UN Secretary-General, “In our turbulent
world, mine action is a concrete step towards peace.” (Source: UN)
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