More than 80 countries are affected to some degree by landmines and / or unexploded ordnance. Some of the most landmine contaminated places are Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chechnya, Colombia, Iraq, Nepal and Sri Lanka.           (Source: www.icbl.org)  

Landmine accident

Each year between 15,000 and 20,000 people fall victims to antipersonnel landmines, the vast majority being civilians and many of them children. Only 15 % of reported causalities in 2002 were identified as military personnel. (Source: www.icbl.org)

What kind of assistance do most landmine victims receive?
Few landmine victims have access to proper medical care and rehabilitation services. In many countries landmine accidents happen in remote areas, where the victim cannot reach a hospital in time.  The U.S. Department of State estimates that less than one in four landmine amputees are fitted with a proper prosthesis.      

How are landmines cleared?
Producing a landmine can cost as little as $3 but removing it can cost up to $1,000. Clearing mines is dangerous, time-consuming and costly work. Humanitarian de-miners use a variety of tools, including metal detectors, vegetation cutters, metal prodders and sometimes even animals to locate landmines. Under average conditions, one deminer can only clear up to 10 square meters a day.  

The Mine Ban Treaty (MBT)
According to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), a network of more than 1400 Non-Governmental organizations in 90 countries, the MBT is an international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines. The treaty is the most comprehensive international instrument for ridding the world of the scourge of antipersonnel mines. It deals with everything from mine use, production, transfer and trade, to victim assistance, mine clearance and stockpile destruction.

The Mine Ban Treaty became international law on March 1, 1999. As of January 2009, 156 nations have signed and ratified the treaty.  The United States, China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iran, Egypt, Israel are among the 39 other nations that have not signed the treaty yet.

How long do landmines last?
Landmines can remain “active” in the ground for several decades.  The older a landmine is the more deadly it becomes. Landmines from the 1930s Fascist Intalian invasion continued to cause serious injuries in Ethiopia.