“People are suffering a lot because of the earthquakes,” said Mr. Lobov UN Newsadding that experts have reported that almost one third of the country has been filled with grief that has not been released.
“Many adults and children have died,” he said. “We have the highest rate of such losses in the world. Nobody knows what will happen in a few months because the war is not over yet.”
New level of complexity
Explosives have been scattered over territory twice the size of Austria, putting 14 million Ukrainians at risk, according to the UNDP, which reports that these weapons have killed 226 people, including 17 children. .
While more than 366,000 mines have been removed, securing Ukraine is a difficult and very expensive long-term prospect, Mr. Lobov said.
The World Bank estimates that the full relief package will cost more than $37 billion. Ukraine cannot solve such a problem alone, so international partners are helping, with UNDP becoming the coordinator of my work in the country.
UNDP in Ukraine / A. Ratushniak Debris in only 40 settlements in the Kyiv region, where the fighting was fought, let it increase, could close a road from the capital of Ukraine to Berlin.
Since the First and Second World Wars, the Ukrainian government has been managing the risks associated with unexploded ordnance, but the current full-scale war represents a new level of complexity, according to UNDP.
Unrolling new ways
Addressing this challenge requires additional resources, tools, new skills, and assistance in coordinating efforts, Mr. Lobov said.
For its part, UNDP is rising to the challenge as well as supporting victims and conducting information campaigns, with funding from the European Union and Croatia, Denmark, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
“In the midst of conflicts, many weapons are not planted,” said Mr. Lobov. “If the fighting continues for an hour or two, there could be several rounds of ammunition. If this is not two hours, but a day or a month or if the fighting continues for many years, then we can imagine how much our land’s weapons will be damaged.”
Explosives in Ukraine were scattered over an area twice the size of Austria.
trouble rubble
One of the main tasks of my practice is the removal of waste, said Mr. Lobov. In only 40 settlements in the Kyiv region where the conflict is raging, the ruins could form a highway from the Ukrainian capital to Berlin, according to UNDP.
While the exact volume is unknown, Mr. Lobov said that, following removal, all hazardous waste must be processed and disposed of safely.
Typically, 30 to 50 percent of unexploded ordnance fails to detonate, but the rest remain active, including any physical impact that can cause an explosion, Mr. Lobov said.
Getting to know people
My action is not limited to physical elimination alone, Mr. Lobov said, stressing that a new set of measures is needed.
“Many people in Ukraine are still unaware of this problem,” he said. “One of the most important tasks is to inform the population. It is necessary to teach people how to behave in areas damaged by mines and explosives.”
For example, while there have been terrorist activities in eastern Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2014, information campaigns should focus on the population of the western regions, those who are abroad, or refugees. , he said.
My new action culture
My work should become the culture of Ukraine “because it will be for decades”, said Mr. Lobov.
“Our generation will face this problem,” he said. “We need to show this knowledge to children through education and to adults, for example, through companies where people work.”
The first message should become “the norm”, said Mr. Lobov: “Stop! Do not touch! Call 101! The State Emergency Service will respond immediately.”
Training safety instructions should have a good effect, without using shocking images, because people can panic, knowing what the risk is right to you, he said.
To increase my practical knowledge, she has taught school psychologists how to present this information to children effectively. The explanation of my behavior should be simple is the basis of the behavior culture, such as the need to cross the road only on the green light, he said.
Alexander Lobov inspects buildings to determine if emergency services must be called or if it is possible to start to release the dust.
Hard choices
The priority is the safety of people, but another Because of widespread landings contamination Threat, among other things, Ukraine’s economy and access to critical resources.
This results in hard choices on priorities in light of limited resources and the high cost of mitigation, he said.
When you protect the agricultural sector, for example, you say that predators can be considered powerless at a point. Because the country depends on this source of electricity, attention to the power line becomes the first task, he explained.
New realities prompt new approaches
New realities require new approaches, said Mr. Lobov, who showed the best methods for handling unclaimed assets.
For the first time, vandals are killing areas that are not often used. Detection systems are also seeing improvements, including the use of mechanical detectors and systems that involve rats, which are more attractive than dogs, he said.
Now, Ukraine will have to build its own system and work on a long-term strategy, according to the UNDP, which is on the ground with experts like Mr. Lobov, to help the country deal with the crisis even while the war is still being fought. .
The debris in only 40 settlements in the Kyiv region, where the fighting was fought, was so powerful it could build a highway from the capital of Ukraine to Berlin.
