[05/April/2009]

SANA'A, April 5 (Saba) -Yemen National Mine Action Programme Director Mansoor al-Ezzi has said that the number of mine victims in the country has reached 5400 people and it has been removed 165000 mines and fireballs since 1998.

On the occasion of the UN world day for mine action, 4 April, organized by the Programme in cooperation with United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Yemeni official reviewed the activities and achievements of the Yemeni Programme over the last years, including a field survey implemented in 2000 for 592 villages affected by mines in 19 province of the country.

"The survey included 14 complexes of 36000 people which have been largely affected and 578 complexes of 791400 people simply affected", said al-Ezzi.

The problem of mines came after the 1994 war while the Programme continued its plans to clear more than 7410064523 square meters in all provinces of the country, hold 654 awareness courses and help 2033 mine victims.

MD/YA
Saba