Cluster Munition Monitor report: Almost 90% of recorded victims in 2012 were in Syria

London, 4th September 2013. Almost 90% of the victims of cluster munitions recorded in 2012 were killed or maimed in Syria, according to the Cluster Munition Monitor 2013 report, launched in Geneva today. Syria was the only country to use cluster munitions in 2012 and 2013. Handicap International strongly condemns the use of these barbarous weapons, which blights the positive achievements of the Convention in 2012.

The Cluster Munition Monitor [1] is an annual review of compliance with the Oslo Convention, which bans the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions worldwide. The violence in Syria blighted the otherwise highly positive achievements of the Oslo Convention during 2012: more than 27 million stockpiled cluster munitions were destroyed by States Parties, significant progress was made in clearing contaminated land, and several highly contaminated states, such as Iraq, signed the convention.

The 2013 report makes particular reference to the fact that Syria deployed cluster munitions on at least four occasions (July and October 2012, January and March 2013), the only recorded use of these weapons in 2012 and 2013. A total of 165 Syrian cluster munition victims were recorded in 2012, almost 90% of all victims.

This repeated use of cluster munitions by Syria drew strong criticism from Handicap International. “Cluster munitions were used in areas with a high population density. For example, on 1 March 2013, they were used in a residential neighbourhood at 11.30am, when children were playing outside in gardens. The attack took a heavy toll: at least 19 people were killed and 60 were injured,” explains Marion Libertucci, Handicap International’s weapons advocacy manager. “They instantly kill and maim numerous victims, but unexploded cluster munitions will continue to pose a lethal threat to civilian lives for years to come.”

More than 110 countries have condemned Syria’s use of cluster munitions, including dozens of non-States Parties, such as the United States. “The international outcry against the use of these weapons underlines the fact that the Oslo Convention is now an undisputable international norm, even if the country using them has not ratified the Convention, as is the case with Syria.” says Marion Libertucci.

Handicap International has been assisting victims of the Syrian conflict in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria since the summer of 2012. Risk education sessions on cluster munitions and explosive remnants of war have been organised for Syrian refugees, particularly in Jordan.

The use of cluster munitions by Syria has unfortunately marred an otherwise generally very positive report on the implementation of the Oslo Convention:

• More than 27 million stockpiled cluster munitions were destroyed by States Parties in 2012, particularly by Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Since the signing of the Oslo Convention, more than 120 million cluster munitions (70% of stockpiles held by States Parties) have been destroyed.
• 42 countries and territories are still contaminated by these weapons, but weapons clearance is advancing at a rapid pace: 78 sq.km. of land was cleared in 2012, 40% more than in 2011.
• More States contaminated by these weapons, including Chad and Iraq, signed the Oslo Convention in 2012. The majority of victims now live in States Parties which are therefore under an obligation to meet their needs.

These advances underline the importance of continuing our efforts against these weapons in order to consolidate these achievements over the years to come. This report comes days before the Fourth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which will be held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 9 to 13 September 2013. A delegation from Handicap International will be present.

Notes
1. The Cluster Munition Monitor 2013 report is coordinated by Handicap International with four other NGOs. It reports on a complete range of cluster munition issues including ban policy, use, production, trade and stockpiling around the world. It also provides information on contamination by cluster munitions, weapons clearance and victim assistance. This report focuses on the year 2012.

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About Handicap International
Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Handicap International is an international aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we take action and raise awareness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. Handicap International is a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Cluster Munition Coalition. www.handicap-international.org.uk

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