Six people died and 13 others were injured, in the province of Cuando Cubango, as a result of 13 mine accidents recorded in 2023
The data was presented by the representative of the National Mine Action Agency (ANAM) in Cuando Cubango, Marcial Cativa, reporting that the province records 626 contaminated areas, of which 153 are part of the Okavango-Zambezi Transfrontier project (KAZA).
Of these areas, 412 were demined covering an area of 30 million, 102 thousand and 849 square meters, including 65 areas of the KAZA project, while 36 others remain to be clarified, he said.
During the year 2023, explained the person in charge, 500 people of different ages were assisted with crutches, wheelchairs and prosthetics, through the Menongue Physical Rehabilitation Center.
Likewise, campaigns were carried out to raise awareness of the dangers of mines, their consequences and the care that citizens must take in their daily lives, to avoid further fatalities.
As part of the ongoing demining process, informed Marcial Cativa, 76 sections of roads were also confirmed, totaling five thousand 958 kilometers, across the province, with 39 sections corresponding to three thousand and 10 kilometers having been demined to date. .
The ANAM representative said that, of the 76 confirmed sections, 37 remain to be demined, in an area of two thousand and 948 kilometers, and recognized that mines still continue to impede people’s desired development, especially in rural areas where fields are used. for cultivation.
Demining operators from the National Demining Center (CND), Military Engineering, Border Guard Police and the NGO The Halo Trust, with 84 teams, are working to clarify the areas affected by the Okavango-Zambezi Project.