Somalilandsun: The UN Mine Action Service in Somalia (UNMAS) on Sunday called for joint efforts to eradicate the threat of the ever more frequent use of explosives in this African country.
Qurat-ul-Ain Sadozai, director of the UNMAS program, said that citizens, mainly children, are the most affected by the dangers posed by those weapons.
‘Together, we must press on to reinforce the development of national mine-action capacities and continue to support Somalia, ensuring protection of civilians as well as social and economic development,’ the UN official said in a statement.
In a message on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance against Anti-Personnel Landmines, Ain Sadozai adds that, although the number of victims has decreased, their existence and use remain a major concern that requires dedicated attention.
According to UNMAS, 1,140 civilian victims of home-made bombs were reported in this country in 2019; that number dropped to 454 in 2020.
Furthermore, another 59 (non-military) citizens were killed in 2019 due to remnants of war exposives, and that number dropped to 53 in 2020. With reporting by Pensa Latina
