The Cambodia Mine/UXO Information System, the Cambodian Red Cross and Handicap International Belgium have published their census of people injured or killed by land mines and unexploded ordnance in 2001, along with January’s monthly victim report.
The survey found that in 2001, 180 people were killed and 648 injured by mines or UXOs. Some 250 people suffered amputations as a result of their accidents, and children made up 26 percent of all casualties.
Nationwide, incidents were split almost equally between land mines and UXOs; they claimed 47.1 percent and 52.9 percent of victims respectively.
The majority of cases in 2001 were in Cambodia’s northwest: The municipality of Pailin and Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces were the site of nearly half the year’s accidents involving land mines and UXOs. Kampot province and the municipality of Kep were the only areas with no reported incidents.
Most of the incidents involving UXOs occurred in villages, while most land mine casualties occurred in forested areas. And while 29 percent of victims said they were aware of the risks of entering the area where they were hurt, 75 percent said they went there out of economic necessity.
In the majority of incidents, those injured encountered the land mine or UXO accidentally.
But 267 people said they had deliberately tampered with the device; 52 percent of these said they did so out of curiosity, while 40.5 percent said they had hoped to sell or use the object.
In January of this year, 41 new casualties from land mines or UXOs were reported—an encouraging statistic compared with the 86 victims of January 2002. Four were killed in explosions, while 27 were injured and 10 suffered amputations.
