Azerbaijan reveals number of mine victims following war

A total of 438 people have become victims of mines and other explosive ordnance in Azerbaijan, 73 of whom lost their lives, since the end of the Second Karabakh War, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Vugar Suleymanov said during a high-level roundtable on "Advantages and Challenges of AI-integration to the Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems".

He noted that ensuring security, identifying risks in advance and informing people about dangers in a timely manner is a general approach that combines various areas.

According to him, mines and other explosive ordnance left after conflicts create serious obstacles to the safety of the population, infrastructure projects, agriculture, the urban development process and the return of people to their native lands.

"Azerbaijan is among the countries most contaminated with mines in the world. According to preliminary estimates, during the occupation of our territories, the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions had been contaminated with more than 1 million mines," Vugar Suleymanov said.

The ANAMA chairman noted emphasized that the scale of the mine threat is not measured only by the number of mines and explosive devices. Mine threat is a problem that affects the safety of soil, water, biodiversity and the ecosystem as a whole, he noted, adding that mine-contaminated areas pose a threat not only to the clean ecological environment, but also to the right to life of people.

According to him, since the end of the 44-day Second Karabakh War, ANAMA and other organizations involved in humanitarian demining activities have cleared 300,565 hectares of land and neutralized 261,705 mines and other explosive ordnance.

He said that 31,037 hectares have been cleared of explosive ordnance for the installation of early warning systems, 132,447 hectares for agriculture, 71,202 hectares for the development of residential infrastructure, 12,443 hectares for energy infrastructure, and 8,447 hectares for land reclamation and water management projects.

"Every hectare of land cleared of mines is a new opportunity for the future," Suleymanov said.

The ANAMA chairman said that humanitarian mine clearance activities in Azerbaijan are carried out in accordance with the International Mine Clearance Standards using the most modern and advanced technologies available in the world. Moreover, special-purpose mechanical mine clearance vehicles are used in survey and clearance operations, and unmanned aerial vehicles are used for more accurate study and exploration of the area.

"Azerbaijan is ready to develop its experience in this area and expand cooperation with international partners. We believe that artificial intelligence, digital technologies and early warning mechanisms can make a significant contribution to protecting people's lives, reducing risks and ensuring safe development," Suleymanov said.