Thirteen soldiers have been killed and 133 injured. With the upcoming summer, mine-related accidents will again accelerate. It has already started. During this winter we have had three to four mine casualties reported to the MAC every month. People are more active during the warmer seasons.
People are out and about tending their land.
There is between 950,000 and 1 million mines in this country. Twenty thousand minefields are registered, which is 50 to 60 percent of what we believe is the real number of minefields. About 120,000 mines have been lifted and 26 square kilometres de-mined. But according to the MICC, this leaves 1,400 square kilometres of contaminated land still not cleared. Not one square inch of this country's soil can be trusted to be free of mines.