Team:Edinburgh/mapxmlpoland



Poland <![CDATA[Poland remains contaminated by large quantities of explosive remnants of war (ERW) and, to a much lesser extent, mines from World War II. Poland has consistently stated there are no known or suspected mined areas in Poland. The Ministry of National Defense reported that scattered “single” mines, mostly antivehicle, are found emplaced but most mines destroyed are remnants of World War II stockpiles. Mines represent less than 0.1% of all explosive ordnance found each year. Moreover, degradation as a result of age and climate means few are still functional and any incidents are a result of “the manipulation of those devices.” This is said to apply in particular to antipersonnel mines.

Polish police recorded 42 casualties (11 killed and 31 injured) caused by explosive devices in 2007. Since 2005, casualties caused by all types of explosive devices, including those in criminal acts and industrial accidents, have been included in Poland’s reports. For 2007, Poland did not provide a detailed breakdown of incidents, preventing meaningful comparisons with 2006.

The total number of mine/ERW casualties in Poland is not known. Between 1944 and 1994, 658 soldiers were killed and several thousand injured in clearance operations. Between 1945 and 1973, 3,833 civilians (including 3,189 children) were killed and 8,221 (including 6,656 children) were injured in mine/ERW incidents. Since 1999, at least seven Polish nationals have been killed and nine injured by mines while engaged in military, peacekeeping or mine clearance operations and other activities outside Poland. Poland’s 2002 census recorded approximately 5.5 million persons with disabilities, more than 10% of the population. ]]> <![CDATA[]]>