Landmine Report: Record Clearance and Funding
November 23, 2011
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the world’s most-recognized, and photographed, bridges.
The latest report on landmines has both good and bad news. It says governments have provided a record level of funding to remove the weapons. But at the same time the use of antipersonnel mines has increased.
Landmine Monitor 2011
shows funding for mine clearance reached an all-time high last year.
“It’s very good news, particularly with the state of the global economy. We were quite surprised and pleased to record in 2010 the highest level of funding for mine action. And that total is $637 million. So it’s a slight increase from last year, but given the state of the economy it feels just amazing and really shows governments’ commitment to this issue,” said Jacqueline Hansen, the Monitor’s program manager.
More than 30 donors supported landmine clearing operations.
“The top five donors are the United States, the European Commission, Japan, Norway and Canada. And they collectively provide over half of all funding,” she said.
Centimeter by centimeter
About 200 square kilometers of land were cleared of landmines in 2010. That’s the most ever for a single year.
Hansen said, “Two hundred square kilometers, it’s about five times the size of Paris. It may not sound like a lot for a global total, but when you’re imagining people lying on their bellies on the ground prodding every centimeter looking for mines, suddenly 200 square kilometers sounds awfully big.”
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