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Dept for International Development

Answer

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the clearing of landmines in Afghanistan. [130298] Mr. Gareth Thomas: At the end of 2002 an estimated 850 square kilometres of land in Afghanistan were still contaminated with anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines, as well as bombs dropped from aircraft and other explosive devices, such as mortars, which fail to detonate on impact but are still capable of exploding when they are touched or moved. As many as 300 people per month were injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance last year. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is responsible for co-ordinating 15 non-governmental organisations on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan for the clearing of mines and unexploded ordnance. We have provided £5.3 million funding to UNMAS over the last three years for their clearance operations in Afghanistan. Since 1989, 754 square kilometres of minefields and former battle areas have been cleared or declared safe. In addition, the programme has overseen services that taught more than 2.4 million people how to identify and avoid mines and unexploded ordnance. In 2002 alone, the programme cleared mines and unexploded ordnance from about 111 square kilometres of land. The Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan recently announced Afghanistan could be free from the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance by 2012 if clearance operations continue at current levels and if international donor support is sustained.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

130298; 410 c549-50W;410 c555-6W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Development aid Bomb disposal Landmines Afghanistan

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk