SABOR DISCUSSES REPORT ON DE-MINING IN 2002

ZAGREB, July 3 (Hina) - A total of 60.4 million square metres of land was cleared of mines in 2002, which accounts for 87.27% of the planned area. The plan was not fully carried out because of a lack of funds, particularly donations, it was said in a parliamentary debate on a report on the implementation of the de-mining plan for 2002 on Thursday. #L# Croatian Mine Action Centre director Otto Jungwirth told MPs only 12.7% percent of planned donations had been realised. The de-mining plan for 2002 was drawn up on the basis of interest expressed at a donors' conference in 2001, however, that interest was realised only to a smaller extent, he said. Of the planned 964.4 million kuna (EUR127.9 million) worth of de- mining funds, only 368.7 million (EUR48.89 million or 38.2%) was realised. A total of 95,816 explosive devices were discovered in 2002. There were 23 mine-related incidents, in which six people were killed, 11 were seriously wounded and 12 sustained light injuries. The number of children affected by mines increased to as many as ten in three incidents. Four mine removal experts sustained injuries in mine explosions. Party benches warned about the need to earmark more funds for de- mining next year as well as to educate people about the danger of mines. If the country is not cleared of mines, there will be no economic development and the return of refugees, the benches said. Jadranka Kosor of the Croatian Democratic Union warned that the plan under which Croatia should be entirely cleared of mines by 2010 would not be possible to implement without more budgetary funds, particularly in the light of missing donations. She also called on the government to urgently forward into parliamentary procedure a bill on humanitarian de-mining regulating the status of mine removal experts. (hina) rml