Ukraine is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world - UN

This was reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine on Twitter.

"Ukraine is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. Even before the ongoing military offensive, over 1.8 million people were already living surrounded by mines for eight years", the statement said.

It noted that while fierce fighting is underway in many parts of Ukraine, new mines have been laid near residential buildings, hospitals and along roads.  Therefore, the civilian population may be trapped and unable to escape in case of danger.

"Many will not be able to return home. Wars end, but mines remain in the ground, endangering lives for many years. Landmines and explosive remnants of war along roads and in residential areas make it difficult for humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to the people most in need", the statement reads. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world.<br>Even before the ongoing military offensive, over 1.8 million people were already living surrounded by mines for eight years. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MineAwarenessDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MineAwarenessDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/kPna1baE5y">pic.twitter.com/kPna1baE5y</a></p>&mdash; OCHA Ukraine (@OCHA_Ukraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/OCHA_Ukraine/status/1510978244077658112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>