Team:Edinburgh/mapxmlcambodia



Cambodia <![CDATA[Nearly three decades of war left Cambodia as one of the countries most severely contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). The greatest concentration of mines is along the K5 mine belt created by the Vietnamese-backed government in the 1980s and stretching 700km along the western and northern border with Thailand. During the Vietnam War, the United States dropped more than one million tons (907 kg) of bombs and at least 26 million submunitions on Cambodia, mostly in the southeast and the sparsely populated northeast, along the border with Vietnam. However, a 2006 study of ERW in Cambodia found that more than 80% of the ordnance being cleared was ground artillery and munitions, and less than 20% was air ordnance. A Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) completed in 2002 assessed the area known or suspected to be contaminated by mines as 4,446km2.

The number of mine and UXO casualties has fallen dramatically from 875 in 2005 (and an average of 842 a year from 2001 to 2005) to 450 in 2006 and 352 in 2007.[Of these, 138 or 42% were casualties caused by mines. Moreover, 90% of mine accidents and casualties in 2007 occurred in just five of Cambodia’s 24 provinces on the border with Thailand. The decline in casualties continued in 2008, albeit at a slower rate, with 170 mine/UXO casualties reported in the first half of the year, 18% less than in the same period of 2007. However, the CMAA says ERW “severely affect rural livelihoods by impeding access to productive resources, markets and basic social services: land for agriculture and resettlement, irrigation, roads, access to water, heath centers, schools, and other rural infrastructures. When located near archeological sites, landmines and ERW also severely affect economic activities and the development of tourism, which is a major source of revenue for Cambodia.” Deputy Prime Minister Sok An commented in early 2006 that “getting rid of landmines is a prerequisite to lift affected populations out of poverty.

In 2007, the Cambodia Mine/UXO Victim Information System (CMVIS) recorded 352 new mine/ERW casualties in Cambodia (65 people killed and 287 injured) in 195 incidents; this is a decrease of 22% from 2006 (450), evidence of a downward trend since 2006 when casualties dropped by 49% compared to 2005 (875).

Civilian casualties due to handling mines/ERW or standing near such activities accounted for 56% of total casualties (198), with 120 (67 children) and 78 casualties (57 children) respectively. Only 11 of the handling casualties occurred due to mines. Males represented 85% (168) of handling casualties, the vast majority were boys (65%, 108). Most casualties were “hitting” the device (70), particularly children (49 boys) who usually did it out of curiosity or while playing. The second most common activity was “dismantling” (40), usually men who used the explosive for fishing or scrap metal collection. Nine civilian casualties occurred while moving live ordnance to make areas safe.

Other activities that led to incidents were collecting wood/food (39), agriculture (37), and traveling (36). People were most at risk of becoming casualties in or near their livelihood areas: settlements (100), areas where livelihood products/water are collected (95), agricultural and pasture lands (71), and roads and paths (36). Twenty people became casualties when entering minefields and six near military bases; the activity at the time of incident for the remainder is unknown.

Casualties continued to be reported at a decreased rate in 2008, with 170 (31 killed and 139 injured) to 30 June: the casualty rate for the same period in 2007 was 210, with 38 killed and 172 injured. Collection of ERW for scrap metal continued to be a leading motivation despite nearly 90% of respondents to a 2006 survey stating that the scrap metal trade had ceased in their villages.[ ]]> <![CDATA[]]>