Landmines and unexploded ordnances still pose a serious threat to South Sudanese across the country, according to the UN Peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

Speaking during the commemoration of this year’s International Day for Mine Awareness which is commemorated on 4 April, Nicholas Haysom, the Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said long-forgotten mines continue to make South Sudan one of the world’s most dangerous countries.

“Landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to be a tangible reminder of the devastating cost of conflict. They pose a daily threat to women, children, and men in this young nation, to our peacekeepers, and our humanitarian workers” he said. “This year’s global theme is “Mine action cannot wait” and this is especially significant for South Sudan considering last month’s tragic incident where 10 children and young adults were killed by a single unexploded ordinance. For UNMISS, preventing such loss of life is crucial. We, therefore, partner with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the UN agency leading a proactive and coordinated response to this serious issue.”

According to Haysom, UNMAS has been working in South Sudan since 2004 and their brave deminers have cleared millions of square meters of land contaminated by explosive hazards.

“They build capacities and partnerships with the national mine action authority training South Sudanese deminers to keep people safe and restore their access to vital services and resources,” he said.

The UN chief urged citizens to report any suspicious objects or unexploded ordnance to save the lives and the livelihoods of the people of South Sudan.

For his part, Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch, the chairperson of the South Sudan National Mine Action Authority, blamed the civil war for the existential threats presented by mines in the country.

“We must do away with them (mines) so that we can be able to utilize the arable land that is not being used simply because they have not been cleared of landmines,” said Barach.

More than 5,000 South Sudanese have been killed or injured by land mines and unexploded ordnance since 2004, according to the UNMAS, which also says more than 1 million explosive items have been found and destroyed in South Sudan in that time.