Team:Edinburgh/mapxmltajikistan



Tajikistan <![CDATA[Tajikistan is contaminated with landmines as a result of civil war in 1992–1997 and mine-laying along its borders by Soviet and Uzbek forces. In addition, the armed forces of the former Soviet Union used three types of cluster munitions in Tajikistan, resulting in significant contamination from unexploded submunitions. Tajikistan has not reported a problem with other explosive remnants of war (ERW), although items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) continue to be found.

Records of minefields laid by Russian border forces at different times along Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan are said to have been officially handed over to Tajik Border Guards in 2005–2006. These records indicated minefields in all 14 districts bordering Afghanistan. In accordance with these minefield records, a total of 607 minefields are estimated to contain more than 260,000 PFM-1, PFM-1C, POM, and POM-2C antipersonnel mines over 8.6km2 of suspected hazardous areas (SHAs).

Mines have also been found on Tajikistan’s border with Kyrgyzstan. TMAC has also identified another 51 SHAs along the Tajik-Uzbek border where it has not yet been possible, for “political reasons,” to assess the level of contamination. zbekistan has claimed that 95% of its minefields along the border with Tajikistan have been demined, but no mine records were provided to Tajikistan.

According to TMAC, mine casualties are typically local inhabitants managing livestock, collecting wood and stone, farming or cutting grass, and who are forced by economic necessity to enter SHAs. Mine incidents also occur while crossing the border illegally to visit relatives; at legal crossing points it is often necessary to pay a fee.

In 2007, TMAC reported 19 new landmine/ERW casualties from nine incidents, including nine people killed and 10 injured. Eleven casualties were civilian, two were deminers, and six were military. All the casualties were male, including six boys. Antipersonnel mines caused 11 casualties, submunitions five, and other ERW three.

Among civilians, the most common activity at the time of the incident was playing with live ordnance; other activities were collecting firewood, repairing a tractor, and dismantling UXO. Only the military and clearance casualties reported having received any form of mine/ERW risk education (RE). The civilian casualties occurred in six districts where no RE had been provided before 2008.

Civilians historically were most at-risk during livelihood activities such as grazing animals, collecting firewood, and farming; casualties in 2007 represent a deviation from this profile. Data between 1999 and 2006 showed 48% of casualties when the activity recorded was grazing animals, and 25% when collecting firewood. Men and boys were most vulnerable while conducting these activities.

]]> <![CDATA[]]>