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What are the obstacles and Problems of Clearing Land Mines in Egypt?
1/18/2009 12:00:00 AM
 In addition to the problem of technology and financial support, there is a host of other problems and obstacles that face Egypt in the pursuit of clearing land mines. These can be summed up by the following:

a- A Large variety of types of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines were laid by the Allies and Axis forces in Egypt s western Desert during the World War II.
b- Moving sand dunes and climatic changes over half a century have resulted in moving land mines from their original places.
c- The mines sensitivity to explosion due to passage of time or atmospheric factors has posed great danger to individuals.
d- Loss or absence of maps or information about these mines or even the areas where they are laid in. In view of the change of mine locations due to climatic and physical factors, existing maps for some other areas were rendered usless.
e- Absence of paved roads leading to the mined areas.
Non-availability of technologically advanced equipment to be used in demining. For example, there is a need for infra-red aerial photographing of the mine fields again by modern equipment to determine the positions of such fields, which is a very costly process.
g- The high financial costs needed to remove about 23 million mines. For example, el-Alamain fields alone need more than $ 20 billion to demine 17.5 million mines. While it costs no more than $ 10 to plant a land mine, it costs $ 300 - 1000 to demine it.
h- While immense human resources are required to clear land related to the process of demining, there is already an acute shortage of experts and personnel trained in demining.
I- Egypt is not listed in the international work plan to combat land mines, although landmines planted in Egypt represent 20% of total landmines around the world.
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