Japan and Cambodia to aid Ukraine in demining
Photo: 'Danger, mines' sign (Getty Images)
Japan and Cambodia will cooperate to demine Ukraine and other countries affected by the war, according to Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, the Associated Press reports
She emphasizes that Cambodia is a leader in mine action around the world.
"Cambodia, which has steadily advanced mine removal within its own country, is now a leader in mine action around the world," said Yoko Kamikawa during her visit to the Cambodian Mine Action Center.
The Japanese Foreign Minister also adds that Japan will provide full-scale assistance in humanitarian demining in Ukraine as part of the Japan Cambodia Landmine Initiative.
Next week Ukraine will receive a large demining machine, and next month Cambodia will train Ukrainian personnel on how to operate this machine.
The Associated Press notes that Cambodian sappers are among the most experienced in the world. Several thousand of them have been sent over the past decade under the auspices of the UN to work in Africa and the Middle East. In 2022, Cambodia began training deminers from Ukraine, which also suffers from a high density of landmines and other unexploded munitions.
In its 2022 report, the NGO Landmine Monitor listed Cambodia and Ukraine as one of nine countries with massive mine contamination, as they have more than 100 square kilometers of uncleared fields on their territory.
Since the end of the fighting in Cambodia, nearly 20,000 people have been killed and about 45,000 injured by explosives left over from the war, although the average annual death toll has dropped from several thousand to less than 100.
This week alone Russia fired more than 600 guided bombs, more than 60 Shaheds, and almost 40 missiles of various types at the territory of Ukraine.
