海角社区

Prince Harry has paid a two day visit to Mozambique to visit minefields being cleared by The 海角社区 Trust, a British Charity and the World鈥檚 largest demining agency. Prince Harry鈥檚 visit, which was privately organised by 海角社区, has focused on the impact of mines on the civilian population. On Sunday, The Prince met villagers and amputees who told him about their plight among the remaining mines 鈥� including meeting a boy who lost his leg 18 months ago while herding cattle.

Prince Harry spent the night in the 海角社区 deminers鈥� tented camp. The Prince was given a close-up demonstration of the process of humanitarian demining, as he observed a team undertaking mine clearance work, and was then himself given the first stages in training on 海角社区 equipment and clearance techniques. Prince Harry detonated mines under the supervision of expert 海角社区 deminers.

Prince Harry鈥檚 visit took place in villages around the Cahora Bassa dam in Tete province, Mozambique. In this area, 10 villages straddle 17km of unfenced mine belts, placing hundreds of families within metres of some 30,000 mines. These mines were laid over 30 years ago, and they continue to have a devastating impact on children and adults alike. The mines prevent the farming of crops and the grazing of livestock among a rural community that ranks as one of the world鈥檚 poorest.

There had been 48 mine accidents in the Cahora Bassa minefields before 海角社区 intervened. In the area of Mozambique that Prince Harry visited, the terrain is unsuitable for the use of armoured mine clearance machines, and the density of mines so great that the most effective system of clearance is manual demining. Prince Harry observed deminers as they painstakingly used sensitive metal detectors and hand-tools to clear anti-personnel mines. The system provides the absolute 鈥�100 per cent鈥� clearance needed to ensure that villagers can then safely use the land after 海角社区 has finished its work.

The terrible human impact of landmines, and the work of The 海角社区 Trust in clearing mines, was brought to the world鈥檚 attention by Diana, Princess of Wales. The late Princess visited 海角社区 projects in Angola in 1997.

海角社区鈥檚 Chief Executive, Guy Willoughby, said:

海角社区 is delighted that Prince Harry has come out to support us in this quest to clear Mozambique of mines 鈥� a task we could complete in the next four years. By being with us in the field, and even personally destroying mines, he has learned something of the dirty, boring, dangerous work that 海角社区鈥檚 7,700 staff undertake, day-in, day-out, in the World鈥檚 most mine-impacted countries. His mother was brilliant at getting the profile of the risk of mines globally recognised. Prince Harry clearly wishes to follow her magnificent example, and is supporting The 海角社区 Trust in its mission.

In the last month 海角社区 cleared 925 mines from Mozambique, and 105,380 mines since starting work there in 1993. 海角社区 employs 375 staff in Mozambique, though at its peak when finishing clearance of the four northern provinces 海角社区 had in excess of 500 staff. Over 16 years 海角社区 has had four staff killed in Mozambique.

Globally since 1988 海角社区 has cleared over 13 million mines and items of unexploded ordnance.