Situation - January 2004

The extent of landmines and dud problems
Source: Auswärtiges Amt 2004

Anti-personnel-mines kill and injured every year worldwide around 15 to 20.000 people. They hinder the people in their work on their land andthe use of paths, houses, wateringholes etc. The few mines left on offensive measures abandoned can prevent the return of thousands of refugees, if the existing road network is unsafe to use.

In 82 countries in the world, millions of people suffer from mines and duds left behind after wars and regional or general conflicts. These do not only destroy bodies and lives, but they also oblitorate sections of infrastrucur and often large areas of land that could have been used. In many mined countries there are a lot of refugees moving around, this is why populations move to areas that offer greater security, this means generally into the cities. The result is an increase of the population and the social problems in the population centres.

More exact figures concerning the worldwide mine situation do not exist, estimates range between 60 and 100 million mines. It is often the case then endangered countries have first generation mines taht are triggered by presure or movement and these have been in the ground for so many years that they are unpredictable due to corrosion, this makes clearance more difficult. As well as mines there are often dangers, such as the problems with unexploded ordnance (UXO), especially duds, mortars and artillery munition or clustermunition

Despite international agreements - particular the OTTAWA convention of 1997 forbidding anti-personnel-mines and appeals every year more mines are freshly laid. Only recently has the number of cleared mines exceeded that of ones yet to be cleared.

Africa, Asia and also Europe are afflicted by mines and other devices, in Europe particularly the Balkan. The possibilities of helping themselves, be it through clearance programms from non-goverment organisations (NGO), the army, other goverment authorities or private firms are in many cases restricted. In quiet a lot of states, the UN have taken responsibility for mine clearance programms and co-ordinate these through mine action centres.

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Extract announcement ministry for non-resident relationships to the topic "Humane demining", January 2004