What is Unexploded Ordnance?
Unexploded Ordnance, often referred to as UXO, is any sort of explosive devise or munition that failed to detonate as intended. Bombs, mortars, grenades, cluster munitions, and missiles that are dropped, launched, or thrown during conflict sometimes malfunction and, rather than exploding on contact, remain dangerous on the ground until someone disables or detonates. It is estimated that anywhere between two and 20 percent of explosive items fail to explode during initial use, leaving them to kill or injure after conflict.
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The Problem
Landmines are generally perceived as the greatest threat to conflict-affected communities, although UXO can often be an equally immediate threat. Unexploded items are often fully or partially concealed, and thus can be set off when unintentionally walked, plowed, or driven over. Visible UXO also presents a serious threat to at-risk populations, as a number of factors can bring people into intentional contact with ordnance. Children’s natural curiosity can cause them to handle, throw, or play with these dangerous items, while others are motivated to tamper with ordnance to extract the high-priced scrap metal they contain. Whether intentional or unintentional, contact with UXO can have devastating and fatal effects.
As with landmines, the effect of UXO is much larger than physical. UXO contamination restricts people's access to land for cultviation, clean water, education, healthcare facilities, trade, and more. In the most highly contaminated countries, UXO severely limits long-term development, denies food security, and results in widespread poverty amongst rural populations.
