Monday March 28, 2016
Kabul (BNA) United Nations has determined 2015, a year void of mines and explosives in Afghanistan, that is why the Japanese government is expected to assist $2mln to Afghanistan.
UN Demining Program officials in Afghanistan said, ‘Japan’s $2mln assistance will be delivered to this organization on February.’ Japanese financial assistance would help 1.76 mln cubic meters of lands to be cleared of mines and explosives in Afghanistan, the UN related officials further said. Likewise, more than 13,000 people who are living close to mine affected lands, and almost 46,000 people would directly and indirectly utilize the assistance, the UN officials added. The amount would also spend in cleaning 22,000 dangerous areas and neutralizing more than a million explosives remained from war in the country, UN added. Meanwhile, the government of Afghanistan calls mines a serious threat to the Afghans. Expressing gratitude to the Japanese assistance for demining, the government of Afghanistan asks for Japan’s continued cooperation in other areas too. Welcoming Japanese assistance for demining, a number of experts stressed that still, mines and explosives have remained non-neutralized and they always victimizes the Afghans, adding such assistances can be effective in decreasing mines in the country.
Lower House of the Parliament said, ‘During more than three decades of war in Afghanistan, different types of mines have been planted by the involved-conflict-sides, but, unfortunately, considerable assistances have not been made in this regard over the last fourteen years.’ A political expert, Ali Rahmani said, ‘If Afghanistan’s demining entities had been honestly worked, we would have not witnessed victimizing our citizens by mines today.’ Japan is a country which has always had good relations with Afghanistan, Rahmani further said, adding Japan assistances should be spent through UN for demining in Afghanistan, it is hoped that one day Afghanistan to be void of mines. Expressing concern on existence of mines and explosives in the country, a number of Kabul citizens said, unfortunately, besides experiencing wars, the people of Afghanistan still get affected by the mines. The donor countries should prioritize assisting to demining program in Afghanistan, because, still the involved-sides are used to plant mines in insecure areas, the citizens further said. A Konduz citizen, Sayed Shah Jawani who is now living is Kabul and has already lost a leg said, ‘Unfortunately, still a number of provinces of the country are full of mines and our people cannot freely go to villages and climb the mountains.’ This is in a time that Afghanistan has experienced more than three decades of wars, and one of the concerns in the country is existence of roadside and other types of mines in which unfortunately, they always take the lives of the innocent civilians.
Suraya Raiszada
