For visitors, tourists
Kurdistan Region landmine agency launches safety campaign
NEWSROOM — The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Mine Action Agency has launched a safety awareness campaign in light of the Eid Al-Adha and the influx of tourists to the Kurdistan Region.
The campaign advises tourists to avoid areas known or suspected to contain landmines.
Warning posters and signs have been placed in areas where landmines are present, marking them as hazardous.
Jabar Mustafa, head of the Mine Action Agency, told 964media, “We have distributed guides in Kurdish, Arabic, and English in checkpoints, hotels, and tourist areas, indicating areas with known landmines.”
He added, “Our teams are continuously working to raise awareness among tourists, and this campaign is also being carried out in villages. Additionally, we have distributed the guide across all governorates, districts, and sub-districts.”
The agency has also launched a hotline at 188, operational 24/7, where tourists can report any sightings of mines or unexploded ordnance.
“Our roving teams are active in all governorates, especially in tourist areas, to provide information and ensure safety,” Mustafa said.
The Kurdistan Mine Action Agency reports that approximately 776 square kilometers of land in the Kurdistan Region remains contaminated with mines. Since demining operations began in 1992, about 60% of this area has been cleared, reducing the contaminated land to 258 square kilometers.
However, the distribution of landmine risks is uneven across the region, with nearly 60% of mines concentrated in Sulaymaniyah province and other border areas such as Penjwen, Soran, Choman, Halabja, and Garmiyan.
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