J Comm Eye Health 1997;10(23): 48

Antipersonnel Mines: Some Facts

Information supplied by the British Red Cross

there are an estimated 119 million active antipersonnel mines in 71 countries around the world.
on average 24,000 people are killed or maimed by antipersonnel mines each year -that is about one person every 20 minutes.
antipersonnel mines have killed more people world-wide than either poisonous gases or nuclear weapons.
in Angola, there is one amputee per 334 inhabitants and in Cambodia there is one amputee per 384 (compared to a figure of one in 22,000 in the USA).
antipersonnel mines do not distinguish between civilians and combatants; they are often used indiscriminately and may remain active years after a conflict has ended.
in some countries, women and children account for over 30 per cent of all landmine casualties.
antipersonnel mines can cause the breakdown of social and economic life, depopulate areas and prevent refugees from returning home.
they can also deny access to fertile lands, irrigation channels, roads and hamper relief efforts - it is often the poorest countries, in greatest need of aid, that are the worst affected.

mine mine mine

CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

International Committee of the Red Cross
Mines Campaign Unit, 19, Avenue de la Paix, CH-1202 Geneva, SWITZERLAND, Telephone: +41 22 730 2305, Fax: +41 22 730 2250, E-Mail: LANDMINES.GVA@ICRC.ORG

International Campaign to Ban Landmines
C/o Vietnam Veterans of America, Foundation, RR1, Box 871, Putney, VT 05346, USA, Telephone: +1 802 387 2080, Fax: +1 802 387 2081, E-Mail: BANMINES@SOVER.NET

United Nations
Department of Humanitarian Affairs*, Mine Clearance and Policy Unit, United Nations, DC1-3600, New York, NY 10017, USA, Telephone: +1 212 963 4635, Fax: +1 212 963 1312, E-Mail: CASSIDY@UN.ORG

*The LANDMINES newsletter is published four times a year by the United Nations. If you would like additional information about this newsletter please contact:

Handicap International
104/106, rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris, FRANCE, Telephone: +33 143148700, Fax: +33 1 4314 8707, E-Mail: 101510,1440@COMPUSERVE.COM

medico international
Obermainanlage 7, D-60314 Frankfurt am Main, GERMANY, Telephone: +49-69-94-43-80, Fax: +49-69-43-60-02, E-Mail: MEDICO-INTERNATIONAL@T-ONLINE.DE

Physicians for Human Rights
100 Boylston St., Suite 702, Boston, MA 02116, USA, Telephone: +1 617 695 0041, Fax: +1 617 695 0307, E-Mail: PHRUSE@IGC.APC.ORG

Norwegian People’s Aid
PB 8844, Youngstorget 100028, Oslo 1, NORWAY, Telephone: +47 22 03 77 00, Fax: +47 22 20 08 70

Mines Advisory Group
54A Main Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 9LU, UNITED KINGDOM, Telephone: +44 1 900 828 580, Fax: +44 1 900 827 088

United Nations Dept of Humanitarian Affairs Mine Clearance and Policy Unit
at the address given.