The Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in South Ossetia is planning to hold explanatory discussions with the population of the Republic due to the threat of mines and other explosive shells, left in the territory of South Ossetia since the war in August 2008. This decision was made by the ICRC management after the accident, in the result of which on November 24 a resident of the Ossetian village of Mugut (Znaur district, South Ossetia) had been blown up by a mine, while grazing cattle.
This has been said IA "Res" by a spokesperson of the ICRC in South Ossetia Marina Tedety.
"We have been regularly and actively carried out the relevant work. In particular, our representatives met with local residents and explained to them the rules of safety regulations , what to do in case of finding out unexploded shells and other munitions, the threat posed by such findings for the people around, "- said Tedety.
According to her, in previous years, the ICRC conducted a series of training sessions on mine threat for secondary school teachers of Tskhinval and villages of South Ossetia.
"The teachers were given basic information on the scale of mine threat and the ways the Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross applied in solving this issue. They also trained the school children how to behave themselves correctly in case of finding out explosive devices. Among the public and in schools were spread special posters, leaflets and other materials informing about the threat posed by explosive devices"- continued the spokesperson.
She has added, that in 2011, in all schools of South Ossetia was carried out survey to find out how children were informed of the explosive shells, and how they ought to behave themselves in the event of detection.
"We distributed questionnaires among students and they filled in them. Then, based on the answers, the relevant discussions were held with them,"- explained Tedety.
She has added that the ICRC in addition to the public information also took concrete steps to prevent accidents related to the explosion of ammunition left after the war.
"For two years, residents of the South Ossetian villages Zar, Monaster, Dampalet, Dodot, Kvernet, Sarabuk, Kokhat, which were located next to the fighting, were being delivered firewood. This was done so that the villagers would not go to the forest for firewood, until they were fully checked for mines and shells, - said the agency interlocutor. - In one of the micro-districts in the south-eastern outskirts of Tskhinval, where in 2008 was taking place fierce fighting, we built children's playground, as up to a full check for the presence of unexploded shells, the children could play there and were not endangered. "
According to Tedety, on the initiative of the ICRC in 2011 were conducted special trainings for sappers of Ministry of Emergency Situations of South Ossetia, in the course of which specialists from Geneva instructed their South Ossetian counterparts in modern methods of assessment of hazardous situations.
"The recent accident has demonstrated that the mine problem still exists in South Ossetia, and we intend to carry out more active outreach for the population, as well as to collaborate with the academic institutions of South Ossetia and the relevant agencies." – underlined the ICRC representative.
Tedety has added that the ICRC plans to leave for the South Ossetian villages of Mugut, Didmukha, Khetagurovo, Avnev and then conduct discussions with residents of other settlements of South Ossetia.
