The United States has announced an additional donation of $11.1 million for demining and arms stock control management projects in Angola.
The projects, it was gathered, aim to return more than 4.2 square kilometres of land to productive use and destroy over 9,600 explosive devices, which will benefit the security and protection of over 48,000 Angolans.
According to ANGOP report, 14 mine clearance teams have cleared fields classified as a high priority and former battle areas in Bié, Cuando Cubango and Moxico provinces.
Development Diaries understands that with the additional funding, the United States has so far contributed over US$145 million to the efforts in Angola.
“25 years of committed US support for humanitarian demining has resulted in the destruction of more than 218,000 landmines and other explosive devices, as well as the safe return of more than 463 square kilometres of land to the people of Angola’, ANGOP quoted the US Ambassador to Angola, Nina Fite, as saying.
The additional investment include $8.6 million in funding to support humanitarian demining by HALO Trust, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), and to expand the operational capacity of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) organisation.
Source: Angop
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