The World Needs a New Solution to Its Landmine Problem
CISR
This headline is brought to you by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) which works to support resilience and recovery in global communities affected by war and conflict.
(AL-JAZEERA) Eight years after war started in eastern Ukraine and six months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion, Kyiv is facing a major mining problem. With an estimated 160,000 square kilometres contaminated by landmines, Ukraine is now one of the world’s most heavily mined countries. To put that in perspective, that is an area almost double the size of Ireland.
The United States has led the effort to tackle this leviathan issue, pledging $89m to fund 100 anti-mining teams in Ukraine for the next year. This is a concrete move that will see some results. But it will not be enough. A mere $2 to plant, each mine costs up to $1,000 to remove.