Ottawa: In recognition of the second annual UN International Day of Mine Awareness Ambassador Omar Samad was invited by the Wheelchair Foundation Canada to attend an event in Vancouver Wednesday where 280 new wheelchairs were donated to Afghanistan.

The wheelchairs (valued at over $168,000) will be delivered to disabled citizens and victims of landmines in Afghanistan.

The Afghan ambassador thanked the WFC and the Knights of Columbus for their sponsorship of the wheelchairs and said, "this new sponsorship of wheelchairs will go a long way to provide mobility, dignity, self-esteem ‎and socio-economic empowerment not only to the disabled, but also to their families and ‎communities.‎"

The Ambassador also expressed his gratitude by announcing a personal donation to the WFC but also urged others, especially Afghan-Canadian families to do so as well. The cost of a wheelchair is $110 or 30 cents a day in a year. He also praised Afghan de-miners for their courage and dedication to help their country with a hazardous job that has so far taken 80 lives.

Furthermore, the Ambassador reiterated Afghanistan’s commitment to its treaty obligations under the Ottawa Convention on landmine ban. He said that the results of mine-clearance operations since 1989 are mixed in Afghanistan, and will require concerted effort by the donors and partner organizations to reach the goal of having a mine-free country by 2013.

Ambassador Samad thanked Canadian aid toward mine action activities, including the latest pledge of CAN $8.8million by the government, and urged all donors to “sustain their levels of commitment to countries like Afghanistan.”

While 60% of the mine infested land has been cleared in Afghanistan, more than 2500 communities in 32 (out of 34) provinces continue to face daily threats.

Embassy of Afghanistan

April 5, 2007

NEW YORK, Apr 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A Canadian non-profit organisation has donated 280 wheelchairs worth over $168,000 for the victims of landmines in Afghanistan.

In January, the non-profit organisation, the Wheelchair Foundation Canada, had donated 500 wheelchairs for the landmine victims in the Kandahar region.

"The foundation has promised to donate more wheelchairs for the Afghan landmine victims," Afghanistan ambassador to Canada Omar Samad told Pajhwok Afghan News upon his return from Vancouver, where he had gone to attend the ceremony in this regard .

Samad said Afghanistan was in dire need of a large number of wheelchairs for the hundreds and thousands of persons of physical disability and this initiative from Wheelchair Foundation Canada was a step in that direction .

The Ambassador said the event also reflected the generosity of the Canadians towards the people of Afghanistan as the donation for this wheelchairs amounting to $168,000 had come from the people of Canada with Knights of Columbus being its sponsor .

Speaking on the occasion, Samad also urged the large Afghan-Canadian community to come forward and donate for this noble cause for their countrymen back home. He was encouraged by the fact that the event was hosted by Dr Karim Qayumi, a prominent Afghan-Canadian of the area .

Lalit K. Jha

http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=34605