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New landmine use compromises positive progress of Mine Ban Treaty

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London, 28th November 2013. Handicap International is alarmed by new cases of landmine use documented in the Landmine Monitor 2013 report [1], released today in Geneva. Despite condemnation from more than 160 States worldwide, landmines were used in Syria in 2012 and 2013, and new evidence testifies to their use by Yemen, which became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty [2] in 2011. Handicap International deplores this unprecedented violation of the treaty.

These incidents are a stain on the Mine Ban Treaty’s otherwise very positive results: for 2012, the Landmine Monitor records the lowest ever number of new victims, the largest area of land ever decontaminated and the highest level of global funding for the fight against mines since 1999.

Deep concerns about situation in Syria

In Syria, which is not a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty, several of the warring factions used antipersonnel mines in 2012 and 2013. The interminable civil war that is ravaging the country for in two and a half years has caused over 110,000 deaths, an incalculable number of wounded, and created more than 2 million refugees in neighbouring countries.

Handicap International has intervened to help Syrian refugees through activities in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The organisation carries out orthopaedic fitting and provides follow-up care for amputees and offers rehabilitation for people with injuries that could lead to a permanent disability.

The organisation also leads awareness-raising projects on the dangers of explosive remnants of war. Handicap International is deeply concerned about the tragic consequences that will result from these mines and unexploded ordnance. The current situation means mine clearance operations lasting several years will have to be carried out in order to limit the number of victims of "the war, after the war".

New evidence of use in Yemen

New evidence obtained in 2013 shows that, despite Yemen being State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty, government forces have deliberately used antipersonnel mines within their territory in 2011. A survey carried out by Human Rights Watch in 2013 exposed the use of around 8,000 antipersonnel mines over nearly 20 zones, notably around the Bani Jormooz military camps, located several miles north of Sana'a, the capital. More than 260 victims of mines and explosive remnants of war3have already been recorded in Yemen in 2012, compared with 19 victims in 2011. Handicap International is extremely worried about the long-term consequences of this new incidence of mine use.

Unprecedented progress of Mine Ban Treaty

The Landmine Monitor 2013 also reports unprecedented progress in key areas:

  • The number of victims recorded has never been so low: 3,628 victims were identified in 2012, a drop of 19% compared with the previous year. This represents an average of 10 victims per day in 2012, a reduction of 60% in comparison with 1999, the year the Mine Ban Treaty came into force. Unfortunately, civilians still represent the largest share of the victims (78%), the majority of whom are women and children (13% and 47% of the civilian victims recorded, respectively).
  • Mine clearance of contaminated areas has reached a new record of 526 km² cleared compared with 423 km² in 2011, enabling the destruction of 540,000 mines and explosive remnants of war. Handicap International leads or supports demining activities in eight countries (Cambodia, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal).
  • Worldwide, 71 countries and territories have been identified as contaminated by these weapons, 9% fewer than the previous year. In 2012, five new countries announced the destruction of all antipersonnel mines within their territories, raising the total number of demined countries to 25.
  • The 87 State Parties to the treaty have destroyed over 47 million antipersonnel mines, 250,000 of which in 2012.
  • 67 countries have contributed to the action against mines, raising $681 million US dollars in 2012. This is the highest amount ever devoted to the eradication of these weapons.

From the 2nd to the 5th December 2013, Handicap International will attend the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva to remind governments of their responsibilities and call for the treaty's obligations to be respected.

Notes
1. The Landmine Monitor is a research branch of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Handicap International is a member of its steering committee.
2. The Mine Ban Treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines.
3. Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) refers to the different types of unexploded ordnance (grenades, shells, sub-munitions etc.) that remain dangerous even after the end of the conflict.

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Press contact
Tom Shelton
Email: tom.shelton@hi-uk.org
Mobile: 44 (0)7508 810 520
Tel: 44 (0)870 774 3737

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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Tags:

disability Syria Handicap International Weapons Conflict Landmines Cluster munitions Mine Ban Treaty Armed violence