US Department of State: Landmines continue to kill and maim civilians

Landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to kill and maim civilians, block economic development, and impede the safe return of displaced communities, Report informs, citing the US Department of State.

"Landmines and unexploded ordnance across the conflict zone continue to kill and maim civilians, block economic development, and impede the safe return of displaced communities," the press service of the US Department of State said.

According to it, to promote regional peace and cooperation, in November 2021 the United States announced $500,000 for humanitarian demining operations in areas affected by the Second Karabakh War.

"US funding is helping build the technical capacity of demining organizations to clear deadly landmines and unexploded ordnance. These efforts will play a critical role bolstering human security and enabling displaced communities to return to their homes and rebuild their lives safely," the Department of State said.

Along with demining efforts, the United States continues to urge concrete steps to address humanitarian issues, including sharing relevant information about the location of landmines, and sharing information on the location of missing civilians and service members, including those missing from the 1990s.

"The United States funding to the ICRC helps support their work on missing persons in the South Caucasus," the US Department of State said, adding that ICRC serves as a neutral intermediary in searching for and recovering the remains of the missing.