Over 1 million hectares of liberated Azerbaijani territories contaminated

Azerbaijan's liberated territories continue to face a significant landmine threat, with an estimated 1,166,702 hectares believed to contain these deadly devices, according to Hafiz Safikhanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines Public Union.

According to Report, speaking at a press conference on the results of a project aimed at strengthening international demining support to Azerbaijan, Safikhanov said that since the November 10 agreement until August 15, 2024, a staggering 66 percent of all landmine incidents, resulting in 46 deaths and 214 injuries, occurred outside the former contact line.

Safikhanov emphasized that humanitarian demining operations in Azerbaijan adhere to the stringent United Nations standards, which require a 99.7 percent clearance rate. In contrast, military demining operations based on NATO standards typically achieve approximately 70 percent clearance.

According to preliminary data provided by mine experts to the International Crisis Group, about one-fifth of the liberated territories are highly contaminated, while roughly two-thirds are classified as priority areas for humanitarian demining. Of the total 1,166,702 hectares believed to contain mines, 211,800 hectares are considered highly contaminated, and 954,902 hectares are of medium and low contamination.