Team:Edinburgh/mapxmleritrea



Eritrea <![CDATA[Eritrea is affected by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), largely as the result of the country’s struggle for independence (1962–1991) and its border war with Ethiopia (1998–2000). Mines were used to defend strongholds around cities and populated areas, military camps, and roads. Mines are also found in rural farmland, near water sources and along borders, primarily in areas near former battle zones. The 1998–2000 conflict brought further mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination.

The Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), conducted in 2002–2004, indicated that 481 of 4,176 communities in Eritrea (11.5%) were seriously affected by mines and/or UXO. The LIS also found that more than 650,000 people lived in the impacted communities across all six regions. Contamination was in 914 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) estimated to total 129km2, including the surveyed areas in the TSZ. An additional 113 UXO-contaminated sites required spot clearance.[29]

The Eritrean Armed Forces laid more than 200,000 mines in the TSZ, and claimed only 10,472 antipersonnel mines and 34 antivehicle mines remained in the ground. Nw mine-laying continues to add to the problem of mines in the TSZ; incidents continued in the second half of 2007 and to 2008.

ERW in Eritrea also includes items left over from World War II. The majority of the UXO contamination is in the TSZ, where munitions can be found primarily along the trench lines. UNMEE reports that PTAB 2.5 and BL755 (cluster) submunitions have been encountered in Eritrea; there are also ERW found in areas used for storage of artillery and mortar ammunition in the 1998–2000 war.

Mines most heavily impact rural communities where they block access to pasture and agricultural land. The LIS found that 399 of the 481 impacted communities (83%) reported pasture contamination as an economic blockage. Herders were the primary group involved in mine incidents and as a result were forced to seek alternative sources of income, most often without success. The consequent loss of income disrupted family life and put additional stress on both health and social services.

Eritrea faces frequent droughts and chronic food shortages and even in the best of times food production is only 60–70% of what the country needs. In some areas of Eritrea, agricultural land remains fallow because of the presence or suspicion of mines, exacerbating the food shortages. A 2004 Price Waterhouse and Cooper study on the impact of mines concluded that, “Although agricultural productivity is low, 80% of the people depend on agriculture for their livelihood and one of five people are affected by landmine contamination, therefore the landmine impact on food security from the community perspective is significant. There are communities that will never be food self sufficient unless landmine clearance takes place, as significant agricultural and grazing land is blocked by landmines.” The study further concluded the drop in family income as a result of losing animals in minefield accidents is significant because the sale of milk and meat from the cow or donkey is often the only source of income for many of them and the livestock are needed for land cultivation and transportation.

]]> <![CDATA[]]>