PHNOM PENH, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed on Friday a statement of commitment to support Cambodia towards a mine-free country by 2025.
The statement of commitment was inked here by UNDP's resident representative Nick Beresford and Ly Thuch, first vice president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority.
Through the commitment, the UNDP provided 20 million U.S. dollars to support mine clearance activities in Cambodia from 2020 to 2025.
The signing of commitment was a testimony of a strong commitment to support Cambodia's pursuit to be a mine-free nation by 2025, Thuch said at the ceremony.
"We strongly hope that from 2026 onward, no Cambodian is killed or injured by landmines," he said.
He said to achieve this goal, the kingdom is seeking about 400 million U.S. dollars in aid to clear all types of the munitions.
Regional and internal conflicts from the 1960s to late 1998 had left Cambodia to be one of the most mine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) affected countries in the world. An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and other munitions were left over from nearly three decades of war.
"They have killed and maimed over 64,700 Cambodians," Thuch said.
In the last 25 years, over 1,800 square km of landmines and ERWs had been cleared in Cambodia, benefiting more than 5.3 million people, he said.
It is estimated that mines and ERWs are still scattered over the area of 2,149 square km in the country, he added.
