Azernews.Az

The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society (AzRCS) has opened a safe-play area for children in a village of the frontline district of Fizuli, in the southwestern part of the country.
Anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) are a deadly legacy of war, which still have an impact on civil populations along the frontline fourteen years after the cease-fire in the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region. Most victims are killed or injured while working in fields, collecting firewood or tending to their livestock. The use of mines during the conflict, as well as widespread presence of ERW, directly affects children.
The aim of the project is to prevent death and injury in mine-contaminated areas by providing safe locations to play and secure places for families to spend their free time. About 3,500 children living in 42 communities from the districts of Aghdam, Gazakh, Tovuz, Aghstafa, Agjabadi, Fizuli, Khanlar, Goranboy, Terter and Gadabay can now play safely and without fear. Children have been closely involved in designing the play areas and in devising safety tips for young people living in conflict-affected areas, the AzRCS told AssA-Irada.
The playgrounds are part of a project in Azerbaijan`s frontline region. It began in 2005, with financial support from the Norwegian Red Cross and practical support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In 2007, the ICRC provided the Red Crescent Society with both financial and operational support for the project. In 2008, the International Olympic Committee provided funding for the construction of the last seven safe play areas.
Throughout the project`s implementation, the AzRCS enjoyed support from the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines.