Nepal becomes free of minefields

22 June 2011

As monsoon clouds gathered over a hill in the Kathmandu valley, two loud explosions filled the air. People cheered as smoke billowed from the top of the hill. Nepal had become free of minefields.

It is the second country in Asia, after China, to be declared minefield-free.

UNICEF Global Parents have helped children in Nepal to play safely, free of the fear of landmines.

Cleaning up after conflict

Last month, the UN Mine Action Team (UNMAT) has confirmed that Nepal has been cleared of landmines according to international standards.

A total of 12,070 landmines were planted throughout the country during the decade-long armed conflict.

Since then, UNICEF has been working in partnership with UNMAT and the Nepal Army to clear the landmines, improvised explosive devices and other explosive remnants of war.

Battling hostile terrain and inclement weather, the de-mining team scoured the minefields inch by inch, down on their knees, measuring, prodding, digging, snipping, and using metal detectors to clear every single every mine.

Children can play without landmine risk

As the smoke of the final two explosions died down, the team of blue-suited de-miners working at the site celebrated and congratulated each other on a job completed.

Next to where they stood smiling was a pile of mine warning signs. They are finally no longer needed.

Injury prevention and care

After the conflict, when landmines were a huge risk, UNICEF taught over one million school children in Nepal about how to avoid mines and keep themselves safe.

A landmine poses a huge risk of serious injury, loss of limbs, and in the worse case, death. Sadly, more than half of landmine casualties are children.

UNICEF also set up a victim information system in Nepal, to ensure that victims of landmines get the adequate and timely medical care and rehabilitation services they need.

When the conflict first ended, UNICEF also provided the Nepal Army with 14,000 hazard signs and trained 25,000 security personnel from the police and army.

With the help of Global Parents, children in Nepal are now unthreatened by landmines.