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Euro 2m aid for landmine victims

The European Commission granted euro 2 million in humanitarian aid for landmine victims in war-affected areas. The aid is being channelled through ECHO, the Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission, which is under Commissioner Poul Nielson.

Commenting on the decision, Nielson said: "After almost 20 years of war, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans now wish to return to their homes. The presence of huge numbers of land mines hinders the resettlement process. The European Commission is committed to help tackle this scourge which threatens the lives of many returnees as well as resident populations."

The conflict has left an estimated 600,000 land mines in the conflict area, and many Internally displaced people (IDPs) are returning to find their houses and gardens mined. It is estimated that between 10 and 15 Sri Lankan civilians are injured or killed in landmine accidents each month.

The funding will be channelled through ECHO's NGO partners on the ground, who will conduct minefield surveys, humanitarian mine clearance and mine risk education.

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