(MENAFN- Swissinfo)
SRF/jh
Before civilians can return to their homes and reconstruction can begin, cities, houses, roads and fields must be searched for explosive devices and cleared. The Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD), a Geneva-based NGO, is helping the Ukrainian army with this. It is impossible to assess how littered with mines and unexploded ordnance Ukraine is at the moment, but the aftermaths of other conflicts suggest the problem will be huge.
Every year, children in particular are killed or maimed by remnants of explosive ordnance from past wars. These devices include anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, which have been knowingly laid by parties to a conflict, and also ammunition that has not exploded as intended. The“failure rate” can reach 25% and unexploded ordnance remains a threat after the fighting is over, sometimes even decades later.
Another source of danger for civilians are abandoned stockpiles – stocks of arms and ammunition that can cause accidental explosions. They can also be looted and used in the manufacture of improvised mines. FSD is active in demining, stockpile destruction, risk education and victim assistance.
Thousands of civilians are believed to have died in Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24. Most civilian casualties were caused by explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems and missiles and airstrikes. Both sides in the conflict are said to be using anti-tank mines.
More
More
The changing face of International Geneva
International Geneva is an important hub for multilateralism. But it is facing some unprecedented challenges.
MENAFN10052022000210011054ID1104186468
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.