Azerbaijan, a nation scarred by years of conflict, now faces a daunting challenge in its liberated territories – a staggering level of landmine pollution, Report informs.
According to Hafiz Safikhanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines Public Union, Azerbaijan ranks among the top five countries worldwide in terms of landmine contamination.
Speaking at a press conference on the results of a project aimed at strengthening international demining support to Azerbaijan, Safikhanov revealed a shocking statistic: 41,000 landmines were discovered in just 21 liberated villages of Fuzuli, an area that was under occupation for a mere 3-4 months.
This grim figure paints a harrowing picture of the scale of contamination in lands that have been under occupation for over three decades.
"Looking at these numbers, it comes as no surprise that there are more than a million and a half mines in our lands that have been under occupation for over 30 years," Safikhanov stated, underlining the magnitude of the problem faced by Azerbaijan.