By the Resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005, April 4 is recognized as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The main purpose of this day is to increase attention to the threats posed by landmines and other explosive ordnance, to expand awareness, also to strengthen the attention of the international community to the global landmine problem.

Today, one of the most serious problems facing our country is the landmine threat. The former line of contact and its surroundings are considered among the most heavily contaminated areas. However, civilian designated areas beyond these zones – including agricultural land, cemeteries, gardens and other areas of socio-economic significance have also been extensively mined. 

The threat posed by landmines not only restricts reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, as well as the use of land, but also poses a serious risk to human life and health. From November 2020 to 4 April of the current year, 72 people have been killed and 349 injured as a result of 259 landmine explosions.

As a result of intensive operations carried out by the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) and organizations involved in humanitarian demining in the liberated territories, 261 551 hectares of land have been cleared, and 246 463 landmines and unexploded ordnance have been detected and neutralized.

Alongside demining operations carried out, high-risk areas contaminated with landmines and other explosive ordnance are preserved and temporarily fenced off in order to protect civilians from landmine threats.

In preventing the threat of mines, not only demining operations but also public awareness and community support play a crucial role. A landmine is not just an explosive buried in the ground - it is a threat to the future of a family, the dreams of a child, and the revival of a village.

The landmine threat is not only a problem of single country, but of all humanity, and eliminating this threat requires joint efforts.

ANAMA once again calls on the international community to unite its efforts in countering the threat of landmines and to support humanitarian demining activities.