Posted on 13 April 2023
On April 4, Mine Awareness Day was observed by the international community alongside the campaign “Mine Action Cannot Wait”, demanding effective action to combat the problem.
Erik Tollefsen, the head of the weapons contamination unit for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), spoke to the urgency and severity of the issue, saying “More people today face danger from mines and unexploded ordnance than even two years ago, due to fighting in Ukraine and Ethiopia that has contaminated wide swaths of neighborhoods and farmland.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also made a statement on April 4, saying “Peace brings no assurance of safety when roads and fields are mined, when unexploded ordnance threatens the return of displaced populations.” He says that global efforts are needed to safeguard vulnerable populations, and support is needed for the United Nations Mine Action Service who dispose of these harmful weapons.