Baku: Around 300,000 hectares have been cleared of mines in the liberated territories to date, Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA), stated during a panel session at the 4th International Mine Action Conference. The conference, themed ‘Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements,’ highlighted significant progress in mine clearance operations.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the demining efforts have resulted in the destruction of 43,000 mines and over 24,000 explosive devices. ANAMA’s annual target is to clear 65,000 hectares of land of mines. Last year, a record was set with more than 1,600,000 hectares of land being cleared. For the current year, ANAMA aims to meet its target of 65,000 hectares, with approximately 50,000 hectares already completed.
Samir Poladov emphasized ANAMA’s collaboration with various partners and mentioned that more than 4,500 employees are engaged in humanitarian operations. The agency’s work not only involves clearing territories of mines but also includes raising awareness about the potential dangers posed by mines and explosive devices.