More support needed for BiH mine action
By the time the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in 1995, the country was littered with over one million mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Mine action efforts have made great strides since, but the continued assistance of the international community is critical to meeting the threat. To date, some 70 square kilometres of land have been cleared of mines, enabling thousands of returnees to resume their lives. The campaign in community mine action – which includes not only clearance, but education, social and psychological assistance to mine victims – has yielded significant results, helping citizens deal with the consequences of accidents or presence of mines in their communities. Yet many mines are still out there. Some 11,519 locations have been defined as “suspect areas,” covering nearly 1,900 square kilometres, or roughly 3.6% of the country. Unfortunately for BiH’s citizens, these mines are not located in remote areas. Since most major combat occurred in highly populated areas, many people face the threat of mines every day. And despite significant de-mining efforts, last year saw a jump in the number of victims - from 19 in 2005 to 34 in 2006.The victims – 18 died, 16 survived – were adults killed or injured while searching for food or firewood. It was cold and hunger that led them to the minefields, not ignorance or neglect, a sad illustration of how eradication of the mine threat is critical if development and poverty reduction efforts are to succeed. BiH has steadily increased its financial contribution to the mine-action effort, but given the scale of the problem, donor support is still very much needed. The Mine Action Centre of BiH (BHMAC), developed with support of UNDP, is considered one of the best examples in the region of state-led efforts to meet the landmine threat. However, the centre needs the support of both international and domestic partners to succeed. “A full, systematic response to the goal of solving the mine-threat problem in BiH by 2014 requires, on the one hand, an update of the Mine Action Strategy, and on the other, more resource investment into the infrastructure development, according to Dušan Gavran, Director of the BHMAC. “We know where the mine fields are, we have maps and graphs, and we are capable of clearing them,” he said. “What we need is more investment in infrastructure. Our equipment is getting older, so our capacities are deteriorating as time goes by. If society wants us to clear the mines soon, it has to make some additional efforts to assist us.”
For further information, please contact: Ms. Asja Cengic
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