Khartoum, May8(Darfur24) The United Nations Mission in Sudan has warned of the dangers posed by explosive ordnance contamination to the lives of civilians, leading to indiscriminate killing and maiming and impeding the rehabilitation of public infrastructure, including schools and roads.
The mission stated that explosive ordnance also constitutes a major obstacle to the safe movement of civilians and the return of the displaced to their homes, undermines the safe distribution of humanitarian aid, restricts access to services and exacerbates food insecurity.
The mission stated that the armed conflicts that have occurred in Sudan since 1955 have left a legacy of explosive hazards, including landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war affecting marginalized communities in conflict-affected areas.
The mission said, “The current conflict, which broke out on the 15th of April, is making matters worse. The extensive use of explosive ordnance during the fighting increases the danger to the lives of civilians, especially children, who may misunderstand the danger of these devices and may imagine them as games and play with them.”
The United Nations Integrated Transitional Support Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) and the United Nations Mine Action Service urged citizens to exercise caution and not touch or pick up any of these unexploded ordnances.