KABUL - The government of Japan on Monday pledged $538,000 for a new demining project in the Sarobi district of Kabul.
Ambassdor Hiroshi Takahashi signed the grant contract with Managing Director of Agency for Rehabilitation and Energy Conservation in Afghanistan (AREA) Arifullah Azimi for the USD 538,009 project.
The project will be implemented in Sarobi district by Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GAGP). Under the project, around 538,043 square meters of minefields and battlefield will be cleared.
The area is high-quality agricultural or grazing land that has been inaccessible for decades due to the presence of mines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs), according to a statement from the embassy.
“These projects will save many human lives, and enable the free movement of people and the use of the lands for productive activities,” the ambassador said at the signing ceremony.
Mine clearance contributed to setting a basic condition for the development of infrastructure and agriculture, mainstay of Afghanistan’s economy, Takahashi remarked.
Japan has been assisting Afghanistan’s nation-building efforts in various fields including security, education, health, culture, humanitarian assistance, agriculture, infrastructure and its capacity development.(PR)