BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 4. Azerbaijani victims of Armenian mine terror, their family members, and relevant NGOs have released a joint statement on April 4 the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Trend reports.
The statement called on the international community to mobilize to declare "a world without mines" as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal of the UN.
According to the statement, 60 million people around the world are still at risk of landmines.
"Azerbaijan is one of the most contaminated countries as a result of Armenia's mine war. Armenia, which occupied a part of Azerbaijan's territories for many years, buried almost 1.5 million landmines there, and the area was badly polluted with various explosive weapons. We urge the international community to prosecute Armenia and assist Azerbaijan with its humanitarian demining efforts.
As a result of Armenia's mine terrorism, 3,429 Azerbaijani people, mostly civilians (358 children and youth, and 38 women), have been injured by mines since 1991 to date.
In the last month alone, three people were victims of mines in Tartar and Aghdam; two of them are young (one is 18 years old, and the other is 29 years old).
Armenia's goal is war against the peaceful population of Azerbaijan. Mines, including trap mines, found in residential houses, cemeteries, and other places in the liberated areas are clear proof of this. Even a number of mass graves were mined around. Mines have been buried for people who come to visit and try to find the remains of their natives in these places after years of longing. This is a crime against humanity.
Despite outcries, Armenia does not provide accurate information and maps about mined areas. The fakeness and unreliability of most given maps are also proven by the fact that the absolute majority of mine incidents in recent times have occurred outside of these maps. This activity does not serve peace in any way.
After the second Karabakh war in 2020, 77 percent of the people who died from mine incidents in Azerbaijan were civilians. Since November 10, 2020, 350 people have been victims of landmines in the liberated areas; 65 of them lost their lives, and 285 were injured.
Mine issue has become the biggest problem in Azerbaijan today. After 30 years of looting and destruction by Armenia, the state of Azerbaijan is carrying out large-scale restoration and construction works in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, which were freed from occupation, and is returning the former settlers to their homelands. However, the mine threat is a serious obstacle to this process and a source of danger to the lives and health of citizens.
We, as victims of mine terrorism in Armenia, family members of mine victims, and representatives of NGOs operating in this field, call on citizens to fully comply with safety rules when moving in liberated areas, not to enter non-public areas, and pay attention to all danger signs.
Today, the state of Azerbaijan carries out demining activities almost entirely at the expense of its internal resources. We call on the international community and international organizations to cooperate closely with Azerbaijan in humanitarian demining. We salute the heroes and the self-sacrificing demining, which is a very risky field but a very honorable profession in which women have recently joined their ranks!
Large mined areas in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur represent a significant threat to ecology, the environment, and agriculture. This causes ecological difficulties, the destruction of vegetation and fauna, and inefficient land usage.
We believe that Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur will eventually be proclaimed mine-free. This is a necessary condition for regional security, return, and prosperity.
We appeal to the global community to fully assist Azerbaijan in bringing this day closer and to take constant effort to proclaim the objective of a'mine-free world' as the 18th Sustainable Development objective of the UN," the statement added.
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