Team:Edinburgh/mapxmlwsahara



Western Sahara <![CDATA[Western Sahara is contaminated with antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines, and explosive remnants of war (ERW), especially (cluster) submunitions and other unexploded ordnance (UXO).More than 2,000km of berms (earthen walls about 3m high) were built during conflict in the 1980s, and remained after the 1991 ceaseire between Morocco and Polisario. Moroccan troops emplaced antipersonnel and antivehicle mines in and around the berms. According to Landmine Action, Western Sahara is “one of the most heavily mined territories in the world.”

The precise extent of contamination is, however, not known, with earlier UN estimates of around 100,000km2 implausibly high.

ERW contamination is also significant, with unexploded submunitions a particular threat. The Landmine Action survey found that traditional grazing land and settlements remain heavily contaminated with unexploded submunitions and are in need of urgent clearance. Indeed, according to the UN Secretary-General: “The extent of cluster-munition contamination is increasingly evident as Landmine Action’s work progresses. These types of munitions are responsible for many of the accidents, which are often fatalities, in Western Sahara. Notably, the first reported victim of explosive remnants of war in 2008 was a shepherd boy playing with a cluster bomblet.”

In terms of human impact, in 2007–2008, the greatest number of casualties resulted from antivehicle mines near roads and in the buffer strip. Cluster munitions were the second highest cause of casualties, followed by antipersonnel mines. Other UXO seems to have been a very minor source of injury. MINURSO has found little evidence of a scrap metal trade in Western Sahara and little use of UXO in households or for construction. In general, the most significant blockages are said to be to transportation routes—either by car or by foot—due to the nature of desert life.

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