Team:Edinburgh/mapxmletiopia



Etiopia <![CDATA[Etiopia is contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), primarily unexploded ordnance (UXO), resulting from internal and international armed conflicts dating back to 1935. The Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), completed in 2004, identified 1,492 communities as impacted by mines and UXO in 1,916 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs).

In April 2007, an attack by the ONLF at an oil exploration site resulted in blockades and restrictions on movement in five “operational military zones” (Degahabur, Fik, Gode, Korahey, and Warder). This led to unknown quantities of contamination from mines and UXO throughout Somali region, particularly along the border areas, former military bases and battlegrounds. According to the UN, mine and UXO contamination in Somali region increases food insecurity, adds to regional poverty and denies safe movement.

In December 2007 to January 2008, a Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) assessment of mine/ERW risk education (RE) needs in Somali region for UNICEF found that, although there was a considerable mine and UXO problem in Somali region, the majority of the people interviewed agreed that clearance was not their first priority. Drought, food and water shortages, as well as health, were considered more serious problems.

In 2007, Landmine Monitor identified at least 84 new civilian mine/ERW casualties in Ethiopia, including 31 people killed, 49 injured, and four unknown. There were at least 47 child casualties (six boys, two girls, others unknown), 32 were adults (four men, remaining unknown) and the age/gender of five casualties was unknown. Antivehicle mines caused 40 casualties, antipersonnel mines 31, and ERW 13. Almost all the antivehicle mine casualties (28) happened in Somali region.

Traveling and tampering/handling caused 23 casualties each, followed by shepherding (18). All the shepherding casualties occurred in Somali region and 17 of the tampering/handling casualties happened in Tigray. Most casualties occurred in Somali region (36), followed by Tigray (27) and the Ethiopian side of the TSZ (21). They recorded at least 34 new mine casualties in Somali region.

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