Azerbaijan, Baku, 7 May / Trend corr J. Babayeva/ The Office for Annihilation and Reduction of Ammunition of the Political-Military Affairs Bureau at the US State Department has allotted one more grant to Azerbaijan ($49,587) for mine clearing, State Department reported.
In May 2007, the Office allocated $187,084 to the International Eurasia Press Fund to work with the victims of mine explosions in Azerbaijan and for preventive measures to reduce the number of new victims.
According to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), Azerbaijan has over 400mln sq metres mined area that contains unexploded ammunition. Since September 2001, as a result of 86 explosions, 53 people died and 122 sustained serious injuries in Azerbaijan.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. Several regions which were occupied by Armenia but then returned to Azerbaijani Army still remain mined.
ANAMA was established by the decree of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in July 1998.
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