By APP
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed on Friday for greater support for the nearly half a million survivors of landmines and explosive remnants of war around the world.
Without such support, survivors may face “a lifetime of poverty and discrimination, lacking adequate health care or rehabilitation services,” Ban stated in a message marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, observed annually on April 4.
“Member states, civil society and the United Nations must strive to foster the legislative, social and economic conditions that enable survivors to realize their rights and be productive members of society,” he said.
“Mine action-related assistance integrated into broader efforts to ensure respect for the rights of persons with disabilities will also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, our common vision for a better world in the 21st century,” he said.
While global mine removal and education efforts have helped to reduce the number of mine victims to some 6,000 in 2007 – a dramatic decrease from only a few years ago the secretary-general stressed that “still, the only acceptable casualty rate is zero.”