10-yrs needed to clear Afghanistan landmines

NEW YORK: It could take as many as ten years to clear landmines in Afghanistan if the mine-clearing continues at the current rate and donor support is sustained, a new United Nations report says.
Since the programme started in 1989, it has cleared landmines and unexploded ordnance from 754 square kilometers of land, including former battle areas.
An estimated 850 square kilometers remain affected and an estimated 17,000 deaths or injuries could be averted over 10 years if the programme is accelerated, it said.If the current pace continues, about 400 square kilometers will be cleared in five years.
A total of $300 million will be needed for the first five years to remove mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) from "high impact areas," the report notes.
Another $200 million will be needed for second five years to clear the remaining areas, where mines and UXO have less of an immediate impact on communities.