613 victims in the past year/ Significant reduction in mine clearance forces due to lack of funding

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: The ceremony, which was held by the National Disaster Preparedness and Combating Office in Kabul, was attended by officials of the Islamic Emirate, ambassadors of various countries, representatives of international organizations, the private sector, and university professors.

 

Nooruddin Rustamkhel, head of the Mine Clearance Coordination, announced that as a result of the wars of the past few decades, millions of mines and explosives have been buried in Afghan soil. He added that the mine clearance teams have so far succeeded in clearing a significant portion of these mines, but a large number of mines still remain in different parts of the country. Rustamkhel noted that the mine clearance department is currently operating in more than 130 districts of the country and efforts are ongoing for complete clearance.

 

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, acting head of the National Disaster Preparedness and Countermeasures Office, emphasized the international ban on landmines and said that due to the long wars in Afghanistan, the use of mines was inevitable. He called on all domestic institutions and countries to make serious and coordinated efforts to clear these mines.

 

Dr. Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, emphasized the importance of mine clearance activities in the country and said that institutions that work in this area with a plan and plan can prepare land for agricultural infrastructure and play an important role in economic growth.

 

Nisar Ahmad Omarzai, the general director of the Afghanistan Mine Action Agency (AREA), announced that in the past year, about 50,000 people have been killed or injured due to landmine explosions, 80 percent of whom were children. He also reported on the sharp reduction in the number of demining forces in the country and warned that this reduction could pose serious challenges to the process of clearing contaminated areas and put the lives of thousands of citizens at greater risk.

 

Mohammad Hassan Ghiyasi, the professional deputy minister of the Ministry of Public Health, warned that landmines not only threaten the lives of citizens, but have also put additional pressure on the country's health system.

 

Gholam Reza Nejati, the deputy ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Afghanistan, in a speech, discussed the historical commonalities between the two countries in enduring the suffering caused by war and said that Iran, like Afghanistan, has been involved in imposed wars at some point in its history, including the war with Saddam Hussein.