Press Release

26 August 2008

UK Government pledges £10.6 million to clear Afghanistan landmines

Over 300 villages in western Afghanistan will be cleared of mines as a result of new funding announced today by International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander.

Over £10 million will be given to the UK charity HALO Trust to remove landmines and other unexploded ordnance in Herat Province in order to return land back to productive use for the poor and vulnerable.

This new project will employ 550 local Afghan people and make safe hundreds of villages so that people can use the land for farming once again.

Herat has one of the highest rates of accidents from explosives and mines with 627 accidents between 2002 and 2006. Last year a trust survey found refugees were reluctant to return to their homes because mines were preventing safe land use meaning people could not earn a living.

In total the project is expected to clear 4.2 square kilometres of mines and clear 154 square kilometres of battle area ordnance.

Across Afghanistan 62 people a month are killed or injured by mines and unexploded ordinance and half of these are children. The number of incidents has reduced by 70% in areas where HALO is working.

Douglas Alexander said:

“More than one person is killed or injured by a landmine each day in Afghanistan and we know some of the most vulnerable groups are hit hardest.

“These weapons cause enormous and indiscriminate damage. Demining programmes are working, with the number of victims in Afghanistan having more than halved in the last five years. That is why DFID is continuing to support the HALO Trust, who are making a real difference on the ground.
 

Notes to editors

• Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. More than 2,000 communities across the country are affected by landmines.
• DFID has supported the HALO Trust in clearing mines in Afghanistan for almost 20 years now.
• In addition to our funding for demining in Herat, we also give HALO £3 million a year.
• Since 1988 HALO Afghanistan has destroyed nearly 580,000 mines out of the ground, around 500,000 mines out of stockpiles and over 5.5 million other explosive remnants of war.