NPA Landmine campaign
Norwegian People's Aid launched the 8. of February 1996 an
information and fund raising campaign about the problem of landmines and
their threat to people in many parts of the world.
The campaign has been extended into 1997, and it is still
important to keep society, the people and the authorities, aware of the
vast landmine problem.
NPA still focus on the work against landmines: the importance
of being aware of the problem, the importance of supporting the work being
done to help the victims or prevent mineaccidents, the importance of rebuilding
societies after war-time, the importance of developing new technology.
Landmines: mass murder in slow motion
Cultivated land is laid waste. Roads are blocked. Bridges are closed. In
60 countries, mines lie and wait for their victims.
Every year 26,000 people are killed or maimed in mine accidents. 110
million mines are mass murder in slow motion.
A pressure of one kilo is enough to set off the explosive!
No peace agreement stops the explosions which tear the feet off playing
children in Angola. A mother of four children in Angola lay maimed in a
minefield for four days before anyone dared to go in and help her. Whole
families are affected for ever. Even with a lasting peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
the mines will give tragic reminders of the war for a long time. The wounds
of the mines will never be healed.
All the mines must be removed
Not one mine must be left where people will live, where refugees return
after the war. Just a suspicion that there may be a single mine in a field
prevents all food production there. Norwegian People's Aid demands: An
international ban on the production, stocking, sales and use of mines!
Help for self-help
Mozambican mine experts trained by Norwegian People's Aid travelled to
the former Yugoslavia in order to clear mines. People in Kurdistan and
Cambodia receive training in surgery and are provided with a "field hospital"
in their rucksacks. Norwegian People's Aid removes mines in many countries,
together with local personnel who are given training in mine clearance.
Much of the work is giving the local population knowledge about the "silent
killers". Life and limbs are saved by people themselves gaining an understanding
of living with the problem, and learning vital first-aid and elementary
surgery. Expertise is transferred to national, local forces. Countries
with mine problems can thus take over the responsibility for clearance
in the long term and at the same time make themselves more independent
of external aid.
When the mines themselves have been removed, society must be rebuilt.
Seeing mine clearance as the first step in a general improvement of the
population's living conditions is quite fundamental. Long-term rebuilding
and development after the mines have been removed is one of Norwegian People's
Aid's main aims.
New technology
The present mine clearance is done in the same way as in 1945. At present,
metal detectors are the only technical aid which can be said to produce
results. Norwegian People's Aid is engaged in making mine clearance more
effective with the help of new methods: the use of dogs, machines and high
technology. Norwegian People's Aid requires more resources for the development
of better mine clearance technology!
The world's largest humanitarian mine clearance organisation
At present Norwegian People's Aid is the world's largest humanitarian mine
clearance organisation. Mine clearance, mine survey, mine awareness and
information campaigns on landmines is a precondition for all other development
work in mine contaminated areas. Norwegian people's Aid started mine clearance
in Cambodia in 1992, with an expansion into Mozambique in 1993, Angola
in 1994 and Iraqi Kurdistan in 1995. In 1996 Norwegian People's Aid started
mine clearance and mine awareness in Bosnia and Croatia. The budget for
mine-related work has increased from NOK 6 million in 1992 to more than
NOK 100 million in 1997.
For further information:
Lars Grønseth, Save the Children 22 57 00 80
Svein Henriksen, Norwegian People's Aid 90 13 89 08
Ivar Christiansen Norwegian
People's Aid 22 03 77 00
http://www.vvaf.org/landmine
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