SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, February 7. The new landmine clearance project will cover nearly 20 cities on Azerbaijan's liberated lands, UNDP (the United Nations Development Program) Resident Representative a.i. in Azerbaijan Nuno Queirós said during an opening event of the "Support for ANAMA's capacity building for the safe return of former internally displaced persons (IDPs)" project, Trend reports.
According to him, these activities will be carried out in all cities and villages contaminated with landmines.
"Azerbaijan, the European Union (EU), and the UN Development Program are joining forces to remove explosive mines from liberated lands to speed up the return process of former IDPs. This project will be launched to share our commitment to the Leave no one behind (LNOB) principle. This will not only ensure the safe return of former internally displaced persons to their homes but will also establish the first women's teams to be involved in landmine clearance processes," he noted.
Queirós noted that up until now, the EU has sent highly qualified mine action specialists to Azerbaijan.
"This project is expected to cover around 20 liberated cities in Azerbaijan. We're also working to improve the skills of personnel, create maps, train dogs, as all this is important to support Azerbaijan in its landmine clearance activities," he added.