The “mere presence” of landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) can “stall development and shatter stability”, the UN chief told the Security Council on Thursday.
“They are left in the path of women walking to work, a family displaced by conflict and seeking safety, children on their way to school. They crush lives and end livelihoods”, Secretary-General António Guterres said at a ministerial-level debate on mine action.
Progress amidst challenges
He highlighted some of the advances made towards demining, saying that between 2018 and 2020, UN funding has made more than 560 square kilometres of land safe, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cambodia and Colombia, noting that at “10 times the area of Manhattan”, the land freed up could now be used “for infrastructure, agriculture, markets, schools and roads”.
Landmines, explosive remnants of war & improvised explosive devices "maim and kill indiscriminately", @UN chief @antonioguterres told the Security Council on Thursday.https://t.co/u21itJ48ql
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) April 9, 2021
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Source: UN News