Kiev, Dec 21 (AFP) Hundreds of thousands of children areat imminent risk of being hit by mines and other explosiveweapons in war-torn eastern Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth, a UN report said today.
A bloody conflict between Ukraine's army and Russian-backed rebels has endangered 220,000 children who live, playand go to and from school in areas littered with landmines andother deadly explosive devices, the UN InternationalChildren's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said.
"It is unacceptable that places where children couldsafely play less than four years ago are now riddled withdeadly explosives," said Giovanna Barberis, the agency'sUkraine representative.
"All parties to the conflict must immediately end the useof these gruesome weapons that have contaminated communitiesand put children in constant danger of injury and death."Available data from January to November showed on averageone conflict-related child casualty a week along easternUkraine's front line -- a 500 kilometre strip of land thatdivides warring sides and where fighting is most severe, thereport said.
Landmines, explosive remnants of war and unexplodedordnance were the leading cause of these child casualties,accounting for approximately two-thirds of all recordedinjuries and deaths during the period, UNICEF reported.
The agency warned that the explosive weapons also put atrisk vital infrastructure such as water, electricity and gasfacilities.
UNICEF urged all sides of the conflict to recommit to theceasefire agreement and allow mine clearance activities andrecovery efforts to begin.
More than 10,000 people have died and almost 24,000 havebeen injured since the pro-Russian insurgency began in April2014.
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia offunnelling troops and arms across the border to fan the flamesof the conflict. (AFP)AJR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.