This brings Canada's total contribution to this US-led initiative to $12.5 million. The announcement was made by Alexander Levek, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Canada for Global Affairs, during the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Berlin.
Key Points:
New Contribution:
- An additional $5 million will be allocated to Tetra Tech for demining operations.
- This increases Canada's total contribution to $12.5 million for this initiative.
Upcoming Announcements:
- The head of the Canadian government is expected to announce further assistance for Ukraine, particularly in the field of humanitarian demining, in the coming days.
History of Support:
- Canada has been involved in demining efforts in Ukraine since 2015.
- From 2015 to the full-scale invasion by Russia, Canada invested approximately $80 million in demining activities.
Approach to Mine Action:
- Canada's demining strategy focuses on two main areas:
- Strengthening Ukraine's national mine action capabilities.
- Supporting international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their demining efforts.
- Canada's demining strategy focuses on two main areas:
Recent Achievements:
- Since the beginning of the year, mine action operators have surveyed over 115,000 hectares of agricultural land in Ukraine.
- Out of this, 108,000 hectares have been cleared and returned to economic use.
Canada's ongoing support highlights its commitment to helping Ukraine address the challenges posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance, ensuring safer conditions for agricultural activities and contributing to the country's broader recovery and reconstruction efforts.
