The problem of land mine contamination in Ukraine is extremely acute. On this occasion, a conference dedicated to Russian aggression and demining problems was held in Berlin in May. The Croatian authorities have allocated 1 million euros to the World Food Program of the United Nations (WPF), the funds will go to Ukraine for demining agricultural land, the WPF press service reports.
The project aims to survey productive agricultural land for mines and other explosive objects, de-mine them where necessary and safely release them to restore food production and support the livelihoods of rural communities. The project will also support farmers in restoring soils and resuming agricultural production once the land is deemed safe. Work is already underway in the Kharkiv region with plans to expand it to the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
«The Ukrainian government has identified demining as one of the five key priorities for the rapid recovery of the country, as it relates to the safety of people, the restoration of the full operation of agricultural enterprises and the establishment of food supply chains– said Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyridenko. — We actively cooperate with our international partners on the launch of the humanitarian demining market in Ukraine, the purchase of specialized equipment, the training of sappers, the certification of private demining operators and the establishment of local production. Funds raised within the framework of the joint Memorandum with Croatia and UN partners will be directed to the survey and cleanup of contaminated land, which potentially amounts to 174,000 square kilometers in Ukraine.”.
The war damaged agriculture and food production in Ukraine, disrupted supply chains and exports, increased production costs, and caused extensive mine contamination. According to the Operational Assessment of Damages and Needs, published in February 2023, the production of grain and oil crops in Ukraine was reduced by 37 percent in 2022.
Croatia will host the International Donor Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine on October 11-12 in Zagreb. The conference will serve as a platform to mobilize additional international support and resources for demining initiatives in Ukraine.
Earlier it was reported that NATO has agreed on a package of three elements that will bring the integration of Ukraine closer. As Stoltenberg explained, it is about a multi-year program of assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $500 million per year, in particular for demining.
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