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The UN estimated that between four and six million landmines were laid in Cambodia. As records were not kept, the actual number will never be known. What is known is that hundreds of thousands of Cambodians continue to be affected. |
The problem
As a result of nearly three decades of conflict, Cambodia remains one of the countries most severely affected by landmines.
With about 80 per cent of the rural population being dependent on agriculture or related activities, in addition to the physical danger thousands of Cambodians remain socially and economically disadvantaged by the threat of landmines, cluster munitions, air-dropped bombs and other unexploded ordnance (UXO).
These lethal remnants of conflict present a major impediment to Cambodia’s economic growth. In recognition of this, mine and UXO clearance is a high priority for the Royal Government of Cambodia, proven by their inclusion of clearance in National Development Strategic Plans and in the established ninth Cambodian Millennium Development Goal for landmine and UXO clearance and victim assistance.
Despite ongoing mine clearance activities for two decades, landmines and UXO continue to inhibit development progress and kill and maim people throughout Cambodia.
There are thought to have been more than 27,000 landmine and UXO casualties since MAG began operations in 1992. In recent years, casualty figures showed an annual downward trend, with the Cambodian Mine/UXO Victim Information System recording 352 landmine and UXO casualties in 2007, 271 casualties in 2008 and 243 in 2009.
However, in 2010 this figure rose again, to 286. This rise can partly be attributed to two serious anti-tank mine accidents during 2010 – one in Palin in May, and a second in Battambang in November – that between them killed or injured 30 people.
Your donation to MAG helps us to move into current and former conflict zones to clear the remnants of conflict, enabling recovery and assisting the development of affected populations.
How MAG is helping
MAG’s clearance and Mine Risk Education activities helps local populations reclaim ownership of their land and provides them with the knowledge to help reduce accidents in the future.
Areas previously hindered by the presence, or suspected presence, of landmines and UXO can, following MAG's work, be used for population resettlement, the construction of wells, schools and health centres, improvements to roads, and increasing access to plots of agricultural land.
MAG’s Humanitarian Mine Action activities are determined by clearance plans and priorities are developed in partnership with local communities, national and local government, and development partners.
In this way, we are able to identify land that is most needed by people, then safely clear and release the safe land fordevelopment, directly assisting the Royal Government of Cambodia in achieving the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals.
We have teams of highly-trained deminers clearing land in the provinces of Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pailin in the north-west of Cambodia.
The programme has an in-country headquarters in Phnom Penh and an established field base in Battambang.
From November 1992 to May 2011, MAG Cambodia cleared more than 32km2 of suspect land, surveyed over 500km2 of potentially hazardous land which was confirmed safe and returned to communities, and found and destroyed 61,605 landmines and 178,566 items of UXO, including cluster munitions and light weapons.
See these pages for information on MAG's latest work in Cambodia:
Beneficiaries
Almost 200,000 Cambodian families have directly benefited from MAG Cambodia's activities.
We focus on clearing prioritised land for productive and safe community use to the benefit of vulnerable communities. Forty-two per cent of land cleared to date has been in support of agriculture, 29 per cent for resettlement and 29 per cent for infrastructure development.
In total, more than 530 km2 of suspected contaminated land has been released to communities through clearance and survey for safe productive use.
In 2009, MAG returned to Phlov Meas, Battambang Province, almost 12 months after two minefields in the village had been cleared. According to the community chief, Vai Chamroeun, more than 90 per cent of his community earn a living by growing corn, sugar cane, beans and sesame. He said that before the clearance took place, few crops were grown.
“Villagers were afraid of mines so they didn’t expand the land for cultivation. Now their lives are getting better. It’s not as hard as it was before. Today, people live in safety.” With support from World Vision, three wells have also been dug and water filters have been given to the village. Plans to dig a pond for the community are also underway. “I feel very happy now and expect that my village will continue to develop."
Operational overview
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MAG Cambodia's headquarters are based in Phnom Penh, with a regional office in Battambang. |
Find out more
- AlertNet country profile: Cambodia
- BBC country profile: Cambodia
- Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor: Cambodia
- Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority
MAG is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Our thanks to the donors to MAG's Cambodia programme: Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Life with Dignity, Finn Church Aid and Government of Finland MFA; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; The Hurvis Foundation; UKaid (Department for International Development); US Department of Defence, Night Vision and Electronic Sensory Directorate (NVESD).
June 2011
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