23 May 2003
Text: U.S. Reaffirms Support for International Demining Efforts
(Official condemns attacks on demining workers in Afghanistan) (1770)
The United States -- working with other members of the international
community -- is determined to help increase security and stability in
post conflict environments by finding and removing landmines and other
unexploded ordnance, according to a State Department demining
official.
Donald Patierno, director of the State Department's Office of
Humanitarian Demining Programs, said that "nearly 60 nations around
the world are dealing with the menace posed by landmines" and that
Afghanistan is a prime example of this difficult issue.
Patierno said that landmines and other unexploded ordnance pose a
daunting challenge in Afghanistan and that they "threaten the very
lives of the Afghan people, hamper the provision of humanitarian
assistance, and play havoc with (the country's) efforts to
reconstitute its war-torn infrastructure and economy."
He noted that progress is being made and that mine risk education
programs provided to more than seven million people have lowered the
landmine casualty rate by approximately 50 percent, adding that in
addition to reducing casualties, the demining program provides hope
for a future devoid of violence.
Patierno, who spoke May 21 at an event to support the non-governmental
organization Roots of Peace, said it is despicable that the highly
skilled Afghan deminers who are risking their lives to improve
conditions in their country are now threatened by random acts of
terror and intimidation. He said there is evidence that the Taliban
has adopted a deliberate strategy of explicitly targeting national and
international members of the humanitarian aid community, stressing
that the "recent loss of deminers to these acts of cowardice cannot be
allowed to stop their important work."
Patierno also said that the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) is providing an additional 400 armed guards for the protection
of humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan and that the government
of Afghanistan is providing 100 soldiers to focus on areas most likely
to be at risk of attack.
He said "the government of Afghanistan and the U.N. Mine Action
Program director are instituting prudent measures to provide the
security conditions necessary for mine action" and expressed hope that
these measures will soon allow Mine Action Program Afghanistan (MAPA)
to redirect its resources back to the affected areas "so that
Afghanistan's impressive demining capacity will once again benefit the
entire country".
Patierno applauded the efforts of Roots of Peace, which in partnership
with HALO trust -- an international mine clearance organization -- has
been instrumental in clearing land for agricultural production. As a
result, he said, more than 1.8 million refugees have returned home and
MAPA has been able to provide employment opportunities to over 9,200
farmers and industrial workers, resulting in greatly increased
agricultural and livestock production.
Patierno also noted that the United States has been providing support
to the mine clearing program in Afghanistan continuously for nearly 14
years, and that $50 million has been provided during that period.
Following is the text of Patierno's remarks:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, DC
U.S. Mine Action Support to Afghanistan
Donald F. "Pat" Patierno, Director, Office of Humanitarian Demining
Programs
Remarks at Elle Décor and IMG Home Benefit Event in Support of Roots
of Peace
Washington, DC
May 21, 2003
Thank you, Mrs. Kuhn, Mrs. Margaret Russell, Mr. Tony Abrahim and Sam
Abrahim, distinguished guests, friends and partners, good evening. I
am very pleased to be able to acknowledge one of the Department of
State's public-private partners in humanitarian mine action -- Roots
of Peace -- and to commend Elle Décor and IMG Home for their support
of the Roots of Peace effort.
Within the State Department, we have what I believe is a one-of-a-kind
office the Office of Mine Action Initiatives and Partnerships, which
has, as its fundamental charter, to foster partnerships between the
public and private sectors to help secure security and stability in
post-conflict environments. Roots of Peace is one of the many
partnerships nurtured by my colleagues in that office.
I think you will agree that one of the daunting problems faced by
nearly 60 nations around the world is the menace posed by landmines,
and perhaps there is no greater example of that menace than
Afghanistan, the country of focus at tonight's event.
Among the daunting challenges facing President Karzai is the quarter
of a century old problem of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) --
residue of conflict left in the wake of the Soviet invasion, factional
fighting, and, more recently, Operation Enduring Freedom. Landmines
and UXO threaten the very lives of the Afghan people, hamper the
provision of humanitarian assistance, and play havoc with efforts to
reconstitute its war-torn infrastructure and economy.
The objectives of the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program and the work
that organizations such as Roots of Peace does, directly or
indirectly, advances national reconciliation and social stability in
crisis-affected areas such as Afghanistan and Croatia -- the latter
another landmine -- adoptee of Roots of Peace.
By helping to remove landmines and by educating at-risk populations,
we not only help to keep innocents out of harm's way and restore
valuable land to productive use, but also we give hope. Hope that the
future will be better than the present, and hope that the grim
patterns of political hostilities and social dislocation will give way
to a return to normalcy, and a secure and more tranquil life.
Public and private funds are addressing the problem of landmines in
real and meaningful ways. In Afghanistan, Roots of Peace, in
partnership with HALO trust, a well-known international mine clearance
organization, is helping to clear land from agricultural areas on the
Shomali Plain. The clearance of these lands will once again allow the
production of agricultural bounty that will reduce pressure on
President Karzai's government and on the international community to
provide food to Afghanistan's people.
Progress also is being made as a result of the U.S. and other
government donors attention and focus on Afghanistan's landmine and
UXO problem. Mine risk education briefings to more than seven million
people have contributed significantly to lowering the landmine
casualty rate by an estimated 50 percent by mid-2002. Afghan deminers
have cleared over 250 sq. km of high priority, mine-infested land and
nearly 400 sq. km of former battlefield areas.
More than 1.8 million refugees and internally displaced persons have
returned. In addition, cleared land has enabled the Mine Action
Program Afghanistan (MAPA) to provide employment opportunities to over
9,200 farmers and industrial workers, increased agricultural outputs
(valued at $14.2 million U.S. dollars), and livestock production
(valued at $43.4 million U.S. dollars).
The United States Department of State takes pride in having engaged
continuously in this effort in Afghanistan for nearly 14 years. The
U.S. did not abandon Afghanistan's mine action sector when the Soviets
departed. Since 1989, we have provided over $50 million, $9 million of
which has been provided this fiscal year. With these funds, the United
States supports a variety of programs including mine detection and
clearance, training and mine risk education. The lion's share of these
funds finance mine clearance operations executed by a professional
cadre of Afghan deminers that numbers in the thousands, and which has
developed a reputation as among the best in the world.
The Afghan deminers risk their lives each and every day as they labor
to find and destroy landmines and UXO. Recently, however, there has
emerged another challenge, one about which you, as we are, gravely
concerned. Today, the safety of Afghan deminers is threatened more by
random act of terror and intimidation than by the threat of the
explosives they seek to destroy. There is evidence that the Taliban
has adopted a deliberate strategy of explicitly targeting national and
international members of the humanitarian aid community.
Just this week, the Director of the UN's Mine Action Program in
Afghanistan provided a list of nine incidents, occurring since April
22, in which aid workers were targeted. Roadside incidents involving
individuals traveling in any white vehicle that seems to be providing
support to the government or to the reconstruction/ development
process appear to be the trigger for the attacks. I am relieved to
report that none of these incidents occurred in the area of most
interest to Roots of Peace -- the Shomali Plain. However, neither I,
nor anyone else can offer absolute assurance that these cowardly
attacks on innocent providers of humanitarian assistance will not
strike this area.
What I can say is that many are working hard to establish the most
secure humanitarian mine action program possible. MAPA has suspended
demining operations in the provinces of Paktya, Paktika, Khost, Lower
Ghazni, Zabul, Hilamnd, Nimroz and Kandahar. Deminers working in these
areas are being shifted to work in other high-priority, but safer
areas, so that they might continue their important work. USAID is
providing an additional 400 armed guards for the protection of all
humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan. In addition, the Government
of Afghanistan is providing 100 soldiers to focus on the areas most
likely to be the focus of an attack. These security measures, plus
many others, once implemented, will provide the security conditions
that are conducive for humanitarian mine action activities,
suspensions will be lifted and demining will return to full capacity.
We encounter threats with any humanitarian endeavor. The challenge is
to find ways to provide security while meaningful work continues. Most
assuredly, the loss of any humanitarian service provider -- deminer,
medic, engineer, educator, whoever, to an act of terror gives pause to
all of us in the field of humanitarian assistance. In Afghanistan, I
find it particularly despicable that deminers have been targeted.
Deminers have been among the most respected individuals throughout the
country. Their work -- indeed their undaunted courage has widely been
admired and appreciated. The recent loss of deminers to these acts of
cowardice cannot be allowed to stop their important work.
I believe that with the assistance of the international community, the
Government of Afghanistan and the UN Mine Action Program Director are
instituting prudent measures to provide the security conditions
necessary for mine action. We all hope that these measures will soon
allow MAPA to redirect its resources back to the areas so that
Afghanistan's impressive demining capacity will once again benefit the
entire country.
In the meantime, like the proud Afghan deminers, we in the
humanitarian mine action community will press on, mindful of the
threat, but committed our mutual cause. We ask for your continued
partnership in the pursuit of that endeavor.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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