03 December 2001
Text: State Department Charts Progress of Humanitarian Demining Program
(Third edition of report now available) (520)
The purpose of the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program -- which
supports initiatives in 38 countries, Kosovo, and northwest Somalia --
is to mitigate the threat of landmines to affected populations.
Progress on addressing the problem is reported in the third edition of
a Department of State publication, "To Walk the Earth in Safety: The
United States Commitment to Humanitarian Demining," which is now
available.
The report provides historical descriptions of the landmine problem in
affected areas, describes the nature of U.S. assistance to a
particular country, and highlights notable accomplishments, according
to the following November 30 notice from the State Department:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
November 30, 2001
Media Note
U.S. EFFORTS SUSTAIN PROGRESS IN HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION
The United States Humanitarian Demining Program addresses the
worldwide landmine problem by supporting mine action initiatives in 38
countries, the Province of Kosovo, and Northwest Somalia. Our hope is
to mitigate the threat of landmines to affected populations. Our
progress is reported in the third edition of To Walk the Earth in
Safety: The United States Commitment to Humanitarian Demining.
Programs for mine awareness, deminer training, mine clearance, and
survivor assistance have turned what was the landmine crisis into what
is now termed the landmine problem, a clear indication of progress
accomplished over the past few years. Many country programs show
evidence of the progress being made. In addition to Moldova, which
declared itself mine-safe in March 2001, several other countries are
expected to declare themselves mine-safe in 2002 and 2003. For
example, in Kosovo mine awareness provided by UNICEF reached thousands
of people; in Yemen a Level One Survey identified locations of
landmines and allowed suspected minefields to be returned to
productive use; and in Angola USAID's Patrick J. Leahy War Victims
Fund signed a new agreement with the Vietnam Veterans of America
Foundation to provide orthopedic services to an additional 3,000
landmine survivors.
Progress also is evident in the significant reduction of the number of
landmine casualties, as documented in "Hidden Killers," the final
appendix in To Walk the Earth in Safety. Fewer than 10,000 landmine
casualties were reported in 2001, a drastic decrease in comparison to
the previously accepted figure of 26,000 estimated casualties each
year. The number of landmines implanted in the ground is now estimated
at 45-50 million, another dramatic drop from previous estimates of
60-70 million.
To Walk the Earth in Safety provides historical descriptions of the
landmine problem in affected areas, describes the nature of U.S.
assistance to a particular country, and highlights notable
accomplishments. Appendices of To Walk the Earth in Safety also detail
related topics such as mine action components, mine detection dogs,
the Quick Reaction Demining Force, the Department of Defense's
Research and Development Program for Humanitarian Demining Technology,
and the Slovenian International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine
Victims Assistance.
Copies of To Walk the Earth in Safety are available from the
Department of State, Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs
(PM/HDP), Room 3328, Washington, D.C. 20520.
(end text)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
