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CLEARANCE OF LANDMINES
Thank you for visiting the Landmine Clearance Site. We are trying to stress the level of importance that is associated with clearing the landmines.
There are millions of un-cleared landmines plus unexploded ordnance in over 60 countries worldwide. This has come about due to recent wars in those areas.
It is thought that 60 to 120 million mines lay hidden in these former conflict zones. It is also believed that around 150 people are killed or injured
by these landmines everyday. These innocent victims deserve life like any other human but are having it taken away because of left behind rubbish!
Despite the huge number of landmine related casualties, the explosives also disrupt the normal trade and commerce activities, as well as access to schools, medical services, and many other everyday functions.
Please help us campaign and clear these death traps.
MINEFIELD ADOPTION
These days there are charities and organisations present that allow members of the public to Adopt-a-Minefield. Adopt-A-Minefield is one such
organisation that
does that.
Every 30 minutes, of everyday, someone finds a landmine by accident and either loses their life, or suffers horrific injuries. Over 90% of these are innocent civilians and one third
are children.
Landmines also largely disrupt the development of poor countries that are struggling to recover from conflict. For this reason it can be stated that landmines indirectly affect millions of people.
If only costs about one pound to clear a square meter of minefield. We need your help! You maybe wondering what exactly the money gets put to towards. 100% of your donation will go to mine action and will be
pooled with other donations to make a whole adoption of a field. This organisation will keep you informed of exactly what your money has been put to. If your donated
money has helped clear a minefield, you will be informed exactly what was found on the site and who has benefited.
If it's helped fund survivor assistance you will be
informed exactly what services have been provided and who has benefited.
It costs at least 6,000 pounds to fund a whole project. If you can afford to adapt an entire project you can choose exactly which one you would
like.
HISTORY OF MINEFIELDS
The very first mines (antipersonnel mines) were used on a wide scale in World
War II. They were used defensively, to protect strategic areas such as borders,
camps or important bridges and to restrict the movement of another force. Since
then they have been used in many conflicts, including in the Vietnam War, the
Korean War, and the first Gulf War.
These mines were first manufactured in order to protect antitank mines and
stop them being removed by enemy soldiers. After a while, mines began to
be developed on a wider scale. They were used to terrorise communities,
stop access to certain farming land and restrict population movement.
A major backfire of mines came as a result of poor military intelligence. It became obvious that mines were harm soldiers who were there to protect. In addition to increasing the number of soldier casualties, there was growing opposition to mine
use within military ranks. The soldiers argued that the military utility of the weapon is
out-weighted by its far more important humanitarian costs.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
It is important that everyone puts in together in order to try and tackle this problem of minefields. The following information are solutions of how to address
the problem at all levels.
Multi level approach
Action is needed to:
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Remove mines from the ground
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Fence off minefields and educate people of the risk
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Destroy mines in stockpiles
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Meet the needs of mine victims
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Ensure that all countries join the Mine Ban Treaty and undertake to never again produce, use or sell antipersonnel mines.
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Make sure that once a State joins, it fully implements the Mine Ban Treaty.
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Try to persuade non state actors to ban landmines and abide by the spirit of the treaty.
In certain places a lot has already been done to solve the landmine problem. Clearance speeded up since mine-laying stopped.
For countries with a landmine problem, action is required to:
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develop a policy to ban landmines and add it to the Mine Ban Treaty;
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develop practical programmes that aim ay removing mines from the ground and stockpiles and providing comprehensive assistance to mine survivors.
Both of the above reasons are essential. The reason for this is that without a ban, mine clearance programmes will be removing mines from one place whilst they are laid somewhere.
Countries that are not affected should have a moral obligation to join the Mine Ban Treaty and promote it. We would greatly appreciate it if people from these countries could provide assistance to mine affected states.
Countries that have traded the weapon should stop and those with large mine stockpiles should destroy them.
You and I
We should be campaigning in order to hold governments responsible for addressing the mine problem on all levels. The action of the public is very powerful and can raise attention
at scale.
LANDMINE RELATED FACTS
Below are some interesting facts regarding the landmine problems around the world.
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More than 110 million active mines are scattered in 70 countries with an equal number stockpiled around the world waiting to be planted.
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Once a month over 2,000 people are killed or maimed by mine explosives.
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For every mine cleared, 20 are laid.
Anti-personnel mines are priced at 3 to 30 dollars each.
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The cost to remove all 110 million active mines is estimated a approximately 33 billion US dollars.
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Land mine victims need blood transfusions twice as often as people injured by bullets or fragments.
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Of all injured mine casualties, only 24.6% arrive within six hours, 69.4% within 24 hours and 84% within 72 hours. The remaining 16% travel for more than 3 days.
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During manual mine clearance there is and accident every 1-2,000 miles destroyed.
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Buried landmines can remain active for over 50 years.
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As well as causing physical and psychological damage on civilians, landmines also disrupt social services, threaten food security by preventing thousands of hectares of
productive land from being farmed, and hinder the return and resettlement of refugees and displaced persons.
