Jobs created in Iraqi demining activity

BASRA, Iraq, April 15 (UPI) -- The Iraqi government announced the creation of 2,000 jobs, half of which are in Basra, to help remove land mines in the country.

The Iraqi government, along with various agencies within the United Nations, issued a global appeal for assistance to help Iraq in its demining operations, the U.N humanitarian news agency, IRIN, reported Tuesday.

The report said Iraq is among the world leaders when it comes to the amount of unexploded mines scattered throughout the country.

The land mines prohibit farmers from utilizing arable land and often inflict life-altering injuries on its victims.

Iraqi Col. Karim Jassim, who heads the Basra provincial explosives unit, says clearing operations all but halted because Iraqis lack modern equipment to detect mines, leaving teams to search areas using metal detectors.

"In addition to that, we are preoccupied with dismantling roadside bombs, car bombs, missiles and mortar rounds that we find almost daily in the militants' caches or in the streets," he said.

With an estimated 5 million land mines dating from the war with Iran and the Persian Gulf War, Basra would get the brunt of the help, the report said.

The Iraqi government said it would pay each worker around $125 per month with an extra $41 for hazard pay. USAID reported that a loaf of bread in Iraq costs around 83 cents.