810 die in 7 years in 20 million hectares of mine-polluted lands across country

Young journalists club

News ID: 1890
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 14:45 - 15 August 2013
Tehran, YJC. Official says that 16 to 20 million hectares of the country’s lands were mined by Iraq during the war.

Tasnim reports that the Director of the Demining Center of Ilam province said in a meeting on preventing disabilities caused by landmine explosions "In the 8 years of the imposed war, two thirds of Ilam was polluted with different sources of mines and war ammunitions in the three counties of Ilam, Mehran, and Dehloran with an area of 1,700 thousand hectares.”

Haji Darabi added "The general demining operations have been done in the three counties of Ilam, Mehran, and Dehloran which were directly involved in war. The mechanized demining is also underway.”

He maintained that the movements of the local nomads unaware of mines and war ammunitions are the major factor causing disabilities and deaths.

"Modern, attractive education increases people’s favor for quality, effective learning. These kinds of education diminish the fatalities and financial loss as people run into explosives.”

He added that due to domestic problems, Iraq does not consider demining its border areas and as geographical phenomena carry mines from the country into the Iranian territory, Iran faces much difficulty in clearing its border areas.

Last year more than 35 thousand nomadic people of the area were educated with mines and it is expected that the number will increase to 40 thousand for the current year.

A number of 810 deaths and 273 injuries were registered from 2005 to 2012 that were caused by mines in the province of Ilam.

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