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Landmine level in NK is close to that in Afghanistan

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  • Landmine level in NK is close to that in Afghanistan

    Agency WPS
    DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
    May 12, 2006 Friday

    LANDMINE LEVEL IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH IS CLOSE TO THAT IN AFGHANISTAN

    by REGNUM news agency (Caucasus regional editorial office)


    PROBLEM OF ANTIPERSONNEL MINES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH; Problem of
    antipersonnel mines in Nagorno-Karabakh.


    Nagorno-Karabakh is the first conflict zone on the territory of the
    former USSR where antipersonnel mines constitute a major problem.
    According to the data compiled and released by the Red Cross
    International Committee, both warring sides in the
    Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict planted at least 50,000 landmines in
    the conflict area.

    RENGUM correspondents in Stepanakert refer to some sources as saying
    that more than 100,000 landmines of various types and shells ended up
    on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in the period of hostilities
    (1991-1994). Viewing it against density of the population and size of
    the republic, experts say that the landmine level in Nagorno-Karabakh
    is close to that of Afghanistan. Thousands of hectares of land,
    fields, pastures, gardens, roads, other strategically important
    objects of the infrastructure were mined, and the Karabakh
    authorities found urgent mine-sweeping their first priority in order
    to ensure safe return of refugees and displaced persons. The
    territories with minefields changed hands (the fact that never made
    the task easier), maps of minefields - whenever charted in the first
    place - were usually destroyed.

    When truce was made in May 1994, the government of Nagorno-Karabakh
    charted a special program of mine-sweeping. Settlements and villages
    were checked for shells that never went off, and 274 minefields were
    charted. A special group was set up to compile information on
    minefields. The population was informed in a special campaign of the
    danger of live shells and landmines. A special service was
    established to report discovery of shells and landmines to.
    Mine-sweeping is painstaking, dangerous, and expensive undertaking,
    hence the slowness of the process.

    British humanitarian The Halo Trust began its work in Karabakh with
    the local authorities' consent on March 1995. An emphasis was made on
    specialist training and on teaching civilians. This organization
    disarmed 88 landmines and 6,886 live shells (almost 50 tons) in
    Karabakh between May 1995 and April 1996. Almost 3,000 hectares were
    made safe again, almost 30 bomb disposal specialists were trained.
    Once it ran out of funding, however, The Halo Trust curtailed its
    activities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

    The Halo Trust returned to Karabakh on recommendations from its
    Caucasus Bureau in 2000. If money is raised, it intends to stay
    pending complete demining of the region. The Halo Trust swept
    13,125,500 square meters of land in the last six years. Its
    specialists disarmed 1,735 antitank and 3,924 antipersonnel mines and
    defused 34,861 shell. Financial support is provided by sponsors
    including Armenian organizations in the United States (Kafeschjan
    Trust is one of them). The Halo Trust leaders admit that raising
    money for their activities in Karabakh is difficult because the
    republic is denied international recognition.

    The Stepanakert office of the Red Cross International Committee and
    Karabakh authorities carried out a program aimed to reduce the number
    of deaths in landmine explosions in the republic. Special attention
    was paid to students of secondary schools. The number of losses went
    down indeed. "Safe Playground Construction" project mounted together
    with the Norwegian Red Cross resulted in appearance of safe
    playgrounds in the communities known to be in mine-infested areas.
    Landmines and live shells on the territory of Karabakh are also
    handled by sappers of the Karabakh Army and republican Directorate
    for Emergencies. Three sustained traumas in explosions of landmines
    and live shells in Karabakh in the first quarter of 2006.

    Source: REGNUM news agency, May 5, 2006

    Translated by A. Ignatkin
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