OSCE launches life safety web resource for Ukrainian schoolchildren

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator launched the Webspace of Safety – an Internet portal created to inform children about risks and threats posed by explosive hazards present in Ukraine.

The web portal, finalized on Friday, 25 April 2014, contains videos, pictures and other information materials on the ‘dos and don’ts’ in situations where explosive remnants of war and unsafe military ammunition are encountered. It also offers guidance on how to behave in other emergency situations.

In Ukraine, between 50,000 and 100,000 explosive items are detected each year. They are primarily the legacy of the Second World War and residues of Soviet-era military exercises and munitions stockpiling. Recent incidents and the current unstable situation in the country exacerbate the danger.

The web portal seeks to promote a healthy and active lifestyle and contains useful methodological tools for educational practitioners in teaching life safety classes.

The web resource was created jointly with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine within the framework of the project “Developing National Capacity for Humanitarian Mine Action in Ukraine”. Since 2011, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator has been supporting Ukrainian authorities’ efforts to reduce risks posed by explosive remnants of war and unsafe ammunition through educational and awareness-raising activities.