A Co Clare man is fronting an appeal to help finance plastic surgery for a child survivor of a landmine accident in Abkhazia, on the borders of Russia and Georgia.
Anri Nachkebia (10), lost part of his face, an eye, a hand and a foot two years ago when he picked up an anti-personnel mine and started playing with it.
He is having problems breathing through his nose and he needs surgery to relieve this as well as a prosthetic eye.
Clare-born Mr David McMahon, a programme manager based in Georgia with the Halo Trust, a non-profit organisation which specialises in the removal of mines, yesterday appealed for help for Anri.
A native of Newmarket-on-Fergus, Mr McMahon has been working with Halo since 1999 and has worked on de-mining projects in Cambodia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Nagorno Karabak.
It is estimated that some 20,000 mines were planted in Abkhazia during the 1992-93 war with Georgia.
Mr McMahon came across Anri during a rehabilitation camp for the child survivors of landmine accidents this summer.
Anri has received a prosthetic leg from the Red Cross but his bones are growing and he will need another operation on his leg soon, Mr McMahon said.
"We were all touched by this boy, who had such severe injuries. We need about $5,000 to send him to Armenia where he can be operated on."
Staff of Halo Abkhazia plan to contribute $1,000 towards the cost of the operation. Over 360 people have been killed or injured in mine accidents since the war ended.
Aside from this, the mines were planted in the most fertile areas and deny people the fundamental right to use their land, he explained.
"This is the war that the world has forgotten about," Mr McMahon added.
"Ireland is doing really well at the moment, but there are a lot less fortunate people living on the periphery of the EU.
"You don't have to go to Africa to see extreme poverty," said Mr McMahon.
Donations can be made to The Anri Fund, Halo Trust, PO Box 7905, Thornhill, DG3 5WA, United Kingdom.
A donation to the fund can also be made on-line at www.halotrust.org