International campaign to remove 20 million mines from Egyptian lands

20 civil centers and organizations started an international campaign for the removal of 20 million mines planted in Egyptian lands. The campaign aims at encouraging the European countries to present financial and technical aid for removing the mines.

A statement for the campaign said it faces several difficulties, such as a lack of maps of the minefields and a great financial cost of nearly $20 billion. The statement said the cost of removing only one mine is $1,000, as opposed to the cost of a mine which amounts to only $10.

The statement also confirmed that the victims of mine fields number 8,000 killed and injured during the last 30 years, asserting that Egyptian diplomatic efforts to sway the countries responsible for planting these mines continue, yet it has not achieved a positive outcome.

Finally, the statement asserted that the responsibility of removing the mines completely lies with the international community.