Shafaq News- Al-Anbar
The Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) said on Tuesday it had cleared 7,456,004 square meters of land contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war in Iraq under a project funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and launched in 2022.
In a statement, NPA said the village of Albu Dhiab, north of Ramadi, in al-Anbar of western Iraq, was one of the project's key achievements after 4,299 square meters of contaminated land were cleared, enabling displaced families returning after the defeat of ISIS to rebuild their homes safely. The project also benefited more than 8,000 people across al-Anbar by improving safety and supporting long-term recovery, facilitating the construction of a telecommunications tower, restoring mobile phone coverage, improving access to emergency services, and supporting local economic activity.
Iraq remains one of the world's most heavily contaminated countries with landmines and explosive remnants of war. An estimated 2,100 square kilometers of land remain hazardous, threatening civilians and delaying reconstruction, while more than 14,800 civilians have been killed or injured since 2004. International and Iraqi clearance teams have cleared over 3,200 square kilometers of land and destroyed more than 2.3 million explosive devices since 2003, although demining operations have slowed in recent years because of funding shortages and coordination disputes.