April 4th marks Int’l Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is being observed today Tuesday, April 4th. The day aims to raise awareness about landmines, seek assistance for mine action work, and advance towards removing them.

This year, the United Nations Mine Action Service observes the day under the campaign “Mine Action Cannot Wait”.

In his message on the occasion, the UN Secretary General has urged for action to rid the world of landmines that continue to kill innocent people.

According to a UN estimate, landmines still lay hidden in nearly 70 countries that continue to kill or maim innocent people, despite the destruction of millions of booby traps globally by the UN personnel over past two decades.

International organizations report that landmines continue to kill and injure civilians, destroy livelihoods, deny land use, and disrupt access to essential services, especially in war-torn countries such as, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.