British actress Rosamund Pike, a Global Ambassador for the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), has called for the full clearance of landmines in Sri Lanka after meeting a survivor during a recent visit with the demining organisation.
In a social media post, Pike described meeting a woman named Victoria. She said Victoria was 18 when she found an object on the ground while collecting firewood and tried to open it. Pike said Victoria woke up in hospital missing two hands and part of her face, with internal injuries near her heart.
“Landmines and unexploded weapons can remain hidden for decades, putting children at risk as they go about their everyday lives,” Pike said.
She said the land must be cleared so that no other child faces what Victoria did.
MAG carries out humanitarian demining in areas of the country affected by the conflict that ended more than a decade ago.
