What are landmines?
Landmines are explosive devices that are laid on or below the surface of the ground, with the intention of killing or injuring victims when activated. Landmines have an outer structure made of plastic, wood, metal, bakelite, rubber, or glass and inside contain a fuse, a detonator, and explosives. Some contain thousands of pieces of shrapnel, designed to fire out to great distances, while others have no metal at all and are difficult to detect.
There are two classes of landmines: anti-personnel and anti-vehicle/anti-tank. Anti-personnel mines can be activated by the pressure of one’s foot. They are often round, ranging from the diameter of a small paperweight to that of a bread plate but can also be square, butterfly-shaped, or cylindrical with spikes that stick out of the ground. Anti-vehicle or anti-tank mines are larger, up to the size of a large serving dish, and require greater pressure to activate. Homemade copies of landmines are called improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
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The Problem
Even after a conflict has ended, landmines can be left in the ground or in weapons stockpiles, remaining dangerous to innocent communities. Landmines and other live ordnance left in the ground are unique in that none of them need an expert to explode it. They can be left for anyone to trigger accidentally - even a child – and are designed to injure terribly. Anti-personnel mines can kill or maim a number of victims when stepped upon, while anti-vehicle landmines can rip through vehicles when disturbed and cause devastating damage to drivers and passengers. The effect of medical, rehabilitation costs from one detonation can be huge, and any number of people can be affected from one accident.
The devastation caused by landmines is much wider than physical. The presence of landmines affects they way people live, work, and play, and prevents entire communities from escaping the poverty and suffering caused by conflict. They restrict people's access to education and healthcare facilities, as well as to clean, safe water and land for cultivation. They hinder links between villages, preventing refugees from returning home and restricting local trade. In addition, the presence of landmines has a serious psychological burden on people who live amidst the danger of a contaminated environment. Once a landmine is triggered a victim has no choice but to be injured or killed, and this fear changes the way people live and act.
