Wednesday, April 11 2018 16:56

ArmInfo. The issues of humanitarian demining continue to be the focus of attention in  Yerevan.

For example, at the "Armenia Against Mines" event, timed to the  International Day of Informing the Population on Mine Risk and  Promoting Mine Action, the director of the "Center for Humanitarian  Demining and Expertise" SNCO, Ruben Arakelyan, noted that the  organization he headed from the moment of foundation in 2011 sets  three the main objectives on the issue of humanitarian demining:  ensuring people's safety, ensuring the safe use of human agricultural  land and solving environmental problems.  According to him, in the  process of demining work, they are primarily guided by the provision  of demining of territories located at least a distance of one  kilometer from populated areas. Arakelyan stated that today demining  issues exist in four regions of the country - in Vayots Dzor, Tavush,  Gegharkunik and Syunik oblasts, the total area of the demining site  in four oblasts is 17 million square meters near which lives about 35  thousand people.

The coordinator of the United Nations Development Program Alla  Bakunts reminded that at one time UNDP was able to assess the entire  scale of the problem of humanitarian demining from the point of view  of human development. "It was UNDP that created the first rough  mapping of demining problems in Armenia, and today we already have a  real picture of what we need to do." I want to say more, today we are  preparing for implementation an ambitious project in this area and we  hope for its successful implementation. I want to emphasize that UNDP  is ready for a large-scale interaction on the issue of humanitarian  demining, and on raising the awareness of the population about the  mine danger, "Bakunts said, and in this context added that if mine  clearance lend these rates, then it will take several tens of years  to completely clear all the territories from mines.

Meanwhile, the representative of the department of armaments of the  International Committee of the Red Cross Paramedip Bopinder Mtarun  noted that the Yerevan office of the Organization mainly carries out  activities to provide assistance to persons affected by the mine  explosion. "We consider it important to hold such events, which once  again remind us of the importance of humanitarian demining and  raising public awareness about the mine danger," said the  representative of the ICRC. At the same time, she stressed that the  problem of humanitarian demining is of a massive nature and requires  an integrated approach.

It is also noteworthy that since 2016 donor organizations have ceased  to allocate funds for humanitarian demining, due to which the work on  demining in Armenia was suspended.

Every year, about 10 thousand people die from the explosion of mines,  another 20 thousand are mutilated to varying degrees, with 30% of  injured children.

On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly decided to officially  proclaim April 4 the International Day for Mine Awareness and  Assistance in Mine Action and to celebrate it every year (resolution  60/97). It encouraged States, with the support of the United Nations  and relevant organizations, to continue to promote the creation and  development of national capacities for mine action in countries where  mines and explosive remnants of war pose a serious threat to the  safety, health and lives of civilians or impede socio- economic  development at the national and local levels.