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U.S. Department of State: â€œThe exact extent of the problem in Nagorno Karabakh remains unknownâ€

04 June 2008 12:44 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan-related part of the report says that Azerbaijan Conflict with Armenia from 1988â€“1994, plus the presence of dilapidated former Soviet bases on its territory, left Azerbaijan with a landmine, explosive remnants of war, and abandoned ordnance problem.
â€œA Landmine Impact Survey completed in 2003 indicated that 643 communities were contaminated by landmines and/or unexploded ordnance (UXO), located in 18 of 65 districts in the country. Between 1991 and July 2006, there were 2,297 landmine or UXO casualties registered. According to the Azerbaijan Agency for National Mine Action (ANAMA), in 2006 there were 17 reported incidents in which two people were killed and 15 injured, including some deminers. The exact extent of the problem in areas occupied by Armenian forces remains unknown but is believed to be significant. ANAMA reports that it has successfully developed a Mine Action Strategic Plan to eliminate the humanitarian impact of landmines and UXO from accessible regions of the country by 2008. In FY 2006, the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) in the U.S. Department of Stateâ€™s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs provided $3,106,246 for mine action support to Azerbaijan, consisting of $2,326,840 for program operating costs and $709,866 for technical support to ANAMA through the PM/WRA contractor ArmorGroup. Additionally, PM/WRA granted the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) $69,540 to establish a sustainable Mine Victims Association in the Tartar district that will provide support and assistance in the social and vocational reintegration of landmine survivors. In FY 2007, PM/WRA provided $2,487,000 to support Azerbaijan mine action; $2.3 million of that support went to ANAMA for ongoing clearance operations, and $187,000 was provided to the IEPF to establish regional branches of the Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association in the Fizuli and Aghstafa districts.