Special Envoy on Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein assured to provide new technical equipment and funds for the purchase of mine detection dogs to the Sri Lanka Army Humanitarian De-mining Unit (SLA-HDU), during his visit to the minefields in Muhamalai, Jaffna on Tuesday.
The Special Envoy assured the Army of funds to purchase flail machines through the Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Ministry since most of the machines are more than six years old.
He is on a visit to the country on the invitation of the President and the National Mine Action Centre of the Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Ministry.
The visit of the Special Envoy comes at a stage when Sri Lanka became a signatory to the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention alias 'Ottawa Treaty' as the 163rd State less than three months ago.
Prince Zeid Al-Hussein, visibly impressed with Sri Lanka Army's Humanitarian De-mining Unit tasks at ground level, expressed his overwhelming satisfaction of the "well-organized, well-planned and neatly-organized" ongoing de-mining work of the Sri Lanka Army.
The Special Envoy witnessed how Army de-miners using manual, mechanical and MDD methods continue with de-mining roles in three separate demonstrations.
He also witnessed how other international mine clearing agencies, such as SHARP, DASH and HALO Trust are operating in Muhamalai and Indrapuram areas. He met the District Secretary for Jaffna, landmine victims and survivors before returning to Colombo on Tuesday.
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