PHNOM PENH, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese high-tech firm Hopong International Limited, in partnership with other institutions, on Monday provided unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and offered specialized training to Cambodian deminers, a top mine clearance official said.
Heng Ratana, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), said the handover ceremony and training session took place at CMAC headquarters in Phnom Penh.
He emphasized that the smart drone technology is vital for boosting the country's explosive remnants of war (ERW) clearance operations.
"Deploying this smart drone technology can truly help accelerate research, mapping, locating, and clearing areas affected by ERWs, making operations safer and more effective," Ratana said.
He said that the partnership strengthens CMAC's self-reliance in humanitarian mine action.
Cambodia remains one of the world's most landmine-impacted nations. Approximately four to six million mines and unexploded munitions were left behind from three decades of armed conflict, which ended in 1998.
Official data indicates that between 1979 and June 2026, landmine and ERW explosions killed over 19,000 people and injured or amputated more than 45,000 others.
The Cambodian government remains committed to its goal of clearing all landmines and ERWs by 2030. ■