Conference on Landmines and Cluster munitions
Citizen Debate
France, Lyon- September. 25. 2008
Bonsoir à tous. Tout d’abord, je souhaite remercier vivement les organisateurs de cet événement. Je suis ravi d’être parmi vous.
Good evening to you all, first and foremost I would like to thank the organizers of this event. It gives me a great pleasure to be here with you this evening.
I am always delighted to talk about and against landmines and other
weapons which indiscriminately target civilians, because I was personally affected by a landmine in 1996 in Afghanistan.
I am honored to share my own experience and give you a bit of information about the tragedy of landmines and their negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of Afghans.
As you might know, Afghanistan has been heavily affected by landmines. Most of the landmines were laid by Soviet and pro-Soviet Afghan government forces from 1979-1992, during the civil war by Mujahedin 1980s and lastly by Taliban. Landmines have been planted indiscriminately over most of the country. Grazing areas, agricultural land, irrigation systems, residential areas, and roads and footpaths, in both urban and rural areas, are contaminated for years. After 30 years; the horrendous tragedy by landmines is still ongoing.
In 1993 the causalities from landmines was estimated at 600 to 720 per month, in 1997 was estimated at 300 to 360, in 2000 was estimated at 150 to 300, and in 2008 is reported around 50 to 60 per month.
So, we witness a tremendous decrease in human causalities - from 700 causalities per month to 60 causalities per month. But even one death or injury from landmines is one too many.
Since Afghanistan joined the Mine Ban Treaty in April 2003, the international community, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations have intensified mine risk education, mine clearance and stockpile destruction. Indeed Afghanistan destroyed all its known mine stockpiles in November 2007, though it finished its legal duty to destroy them 8 months after its treaty deadline. It has also to cleared 60% of the land contaminated by landmines
But 40% of land is still remained contaminated by landmines which means 2300 communities where 2.4 million people live are threatened every day by the presence of mines.
The residents of 2300 communities live in fear and dread, children continue to be maimed by landmines, refugees and Internally displaced people cannot go back to their villages, the reconstruction work is hampered and the economy of the people remains poor.
Over 8000 deminers are constantly working to remove all the landmines by 2013, which is Afghanistan’s deadline to demine all its land under the Mine Ban Treaty. But there are big concerns about the ongoing conflict which will cause planting more landmines by insurgents and Taliban and prevent/suspend the mine clearance work.
Attacks, kidnaps, shoots and warning letters have highly been threatening the de-miners; in past years many de-miners have been killed and kidnapped by Taliban groups. Currently 6 deminers that were kidnapped a month ago still are not released. (Let’s all hope for safe release of the 6 deminers in hostage!), due to ongoing conflicts often the demining works suspend for days and weeks, indeed demining is not easy job not only because of danger of landmines, because of tents of other crimes and threats.
It is estimated that around 60,000 landmine and ERW survivors are living in Afghanistan. They are living in a poor socio-economic situation. Over 70 percent of them have no access to schools, over 80 percent of them are unemployed, women with disabilities face double discrimination and so on… Sometimes the problems make the victims desperate, which gives an opportunity to the Taliban to hire the victims for suicide bombing and other insurgent activities. Many of them are marginalized and hidden at homes for months and years. They are denied jobs, considered unworthy of marriage, barred from certain social events and religious practices.
I see vast humanitarian requirements to clear the landmines and assist the victims in Afghanistan that await an urgent response by the international community. Those requirements are becoming even more pressing and acute as severe winter sweeps the mountains and valleys in the country and the conflict is growing in the different parts of the country.
In concluding my remarks, let me express my hope for peace and recovery in Afghanistan, for security for all civilians, and ultimately for a world free of landmines and cluster munitions.
Vous pouvez aider en signant le People’s Treaty contre les bombes à sous-munitions! Venez à la place Bellecour samedi! Je vais maintenant répondre à vos questions...
You can help by signing the People’s Treaty! Come to Place Bellecour on Saturday!
I will now answer your questions…
Merci.
Firoz ALIZADA
Treaty Implementation Officer
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
Citizen Debate
France, Lyon- September. 25. 2008
Bonsoir à tous. Tout d’abord, je souhaite remercier vivement les organisateurs de cet événement. Je suis ravi d’être parmi vous.
Good evening to you all, first and foremost I would like to thank the organizers of this event. It gives me a great pleasure to be here with you this evening.
I am always delighted to talk about and against landmines and other
weapons which indiscriminately target civilians, because I was personally affected by a landmine in 1996 in Afghanistan.I am honored to share my own experience and give you a bit of information about the tragedy of landmines and their negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of Afghans.
As you might know, Afghanistan has been heavily affected by landmines. Most of the landmines were laid by Soviet and pro-Soviet Afghan government forces from 1979-1992, during the civil war by Mujahedin 1980s and lastly by Taliban. Landmines have been planted indiscriminately over most of the country. Grazing areas, agricultural land, irrigation systems, residential areas, and roads and footpaths, in both urban and rural areas, are contaminated for years. After 30 years; the horrendous tragedy by landmines is still ongoing.
In 1993 the causalities from landmines was estimated at 600 to 720 per month, in 1997 was estimated at 300 to 360, in 2000 was estimated at 150 to 300, and in 2008 is reported around 50 to 60 per month.
So, we witness a tremendous decrease in human causalities - from 700 causalities per month to 60 causalities per month. But even one death or injury from landmines is one too many.
Since Afghanistan joined the Mine Ban Treaty in April 2003, the international community, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations have intensified mine risk education, mine clearance and stockpile destruction. Indeed Afghanistan destroyed all its known mine stockpiles in November 2007, though it finished its legal duty to destroy them 8 months after its treaty deadline. It has also to cleared 60% of the land contaminated by landmines
But 40% of land is still remained contaminated by landmines which means 2300 communities where 2.4 million people live are threatened every day by the presence of mines.
The residents of 2300 communities live in fear and dread, children continue to be maimed by landmines, refugees and Internally displaced people cannot go back to their villages, the reconstruction work is hampered and the economy of the people remains poor.
Over 8000 deminers are constantly working to remove all the landmines by 2013, which is Afghanistan’s deadline to demine all its land under the Mine Ban Treaty. But there are big concerns about the ongoing conflict which will cause planting more landmines by insurgents and Taliban and prevent/suspend the mine clearance work.
Attacks, kidnaps, shoots and warning letters have highly been threatening the de-miners; in past years many de-miners have been killed and kidnapped by Taliban groups. Currently 6 deminers that were kidnapped a month ago still are not released. (Let’s all hope for safe release of the 6 deminers in hostage!), due to ongoing conflicts often the demining works suspend for days and weeks, indeed demining is not easy job not only because of danger of landmines, because of tents of other crimes and threats.
It is estimated that around 60,000 landmine and ERW survivors are living in Afghanistan. They are living in a poor socio-economic situation. Over 70 percent of them have no access to schools, over 80 percent of them are unemployed, women with disabilities face double discrimination and so on… Sometimes the problems make the victims desperate, which gives an opportunity to the Taliban to hire the victims for suicide bombing and other insurgent activities. Many of them are marginalized and hidden at homes for months and years. They are denied jobs, considered unworthy of marriage, barred from certain social events and religious practices.
I see vast humanitarian requirements to clear the landmines and assist the victims in Afghanistan that await an urgent response by the international community. Those requirements are becoming even more pressing and acute as severe winter sweeps the mountains and valleys in the country and the conflict is growing in the different parts of the country.
In concluding my remarks, let me express my hope for peace and recovery in Afghanistan, for security for all civilians, and ultimately for a world free of landmines and cluster munitions.
Vous pouvez aider en signant le People’s Treaty contre les bombes à sous-munitions! Venez à la place Bellecour samedi! Je vais maintenant répondre à vos questions...
You can help by signing the People’s Treaty! Come to Place Bellecour on Saturday!
I will now answer your questions…
Merci.
Firoz ALIZADA
Treaty Implementation Officer
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
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