Cambodia sees landmine/UXO casualties drop below 100 for 1st time last year

Cambodia saw landmine and unexploded ordnances (UXOs) casualties drop below 100 in 2016 for the first time in 37 years, according to a government report released on Friday.

The report compiled by the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA) showed that there were 83 landmine and UXO casualties in 2016, down 25 percent from 111 a year before.

Of the casualties last year, 25 were killed and 58 were either injured or amputated, the report said.

It added that from 1979 to 2016, landmines and UXOs had killed 19,748 people and wounded 44,914 others.

Cambodia is one of the most landmine-affected countries in the world. An estimated 4 to 6 million landmines and other munitions were left over from nearly three decades of war that ended in 1998.

CMAA's First Vice President Serei Kosal said on Friday that to date Cambodia had cleared landmines and explosive remnants of war in about 1,400 square kilometers of the total 3,350-square-kilometer contaminated area.

"We have set a goal to clear of all types of mines and explosive remnants of war by 2025," he told reporters after receiving a grant aid of 3.5 million U.S. dollars from Switzerland. "We need around 400 million U.S. dollars for mine clearance in the next 10 years."

The official also appealed to friendly countries and development partners to support Cambodia in its efforts to achieve the goal of mine-free by 2025. Endit