Afghanistan: Massive Demining Follows Years of Warfare

"Landmine Monitor's 2005 Afghanistan report --the 2006 report is scheduled to be released on Sep 13 --has stated that in the previous year, over 33 sq km of mined areas and nearly 70 sq. km of battle areas were cleared, destroying over 5,000 antipersonnel mines, 500 antivehicle mines and one million other explosives

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is the main source of casualty data, there may be as many as 100,000 landmine and UXO survivors. Disability rights are guaranteed by the 2004 Afghan Constitution.

But the social security benefit of 300 Afghanis a month (about 6 dollars), paid to about 300,000 recipients, including mine survivors and other people disabled by the war and the families of those killed in the war, is insufficient to maintain a basic standard of living."

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