Swiss Foundation Clears Mines In Ukraine
CISR
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(MENA FN) 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.