If you want to play soccer in Cambodia, you first need to clear the land of the remnants of war. On a decent size soccer field, you would find on average 3.5 anti-personnel mines and 33 pieces of unexploded ordnance. People still get injured or killed by mines. It's not safe for children to play, or for farmers to grow rice. So soccer is not as popular as growing food or a life without fear for your life and limbs. Help us clear an area the surface of the 12 FIFA World Cup venues !
Cambodia remains one of the most mine-affected countries in the world. 61% of suspected minefields are concentrated in 5 provinces, among which Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap. The impact is huge: villages contaminated with landmines/UXO; damaged infrastructure (water sources, roads, schools, hospitals); many victims of war (amputees, orphans and widows). Above all, there's the fear to cultivate the land, to walk over seldom used roads, to let children play unattended.
APOPO has partnered with the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) in Cambodia with support from the Government of Germany. The current project supports mine action activities in the 2 Provinces with manual and mechanical assets. We are in preparation of a deployment of our HeroRATs in Cambodia.
The presence of mines and ERW in Cambodia have caused serious injuries and death to local communities and have prevented access to natural resources, safe drinking water, land needed for agriculture and settlement and education and services, thus contributing to the perpetuation of poverty and the hindrance of socio-economic development. Taking these remnants of war our of the land and returning it to the population for regular use enabled social and economic improvement projects.
