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Most governments in
mine-affected countries do not have adequate resources to care for and
rehabilitate mine victims or to facilitate their reintegration into
society. Accordingly, the burden of care and responsibility generally
falls upon a victim's family. Unfortunately, victims are often unable to
rely on their families for the support they require. Furthermore, because
the majority of mine-affected countries are agrarian societies, disabled
persons who are unable to undertake strenuous physical work in the fields
are typically considered a burden by their family members.
The level of
alienation that some mine victims experience is further exacerbated by
conditions of war and famine, which tend to undermine traditional family
structures. Mine victims are the most vulnerable members of society,
particularly if mine-affected communities are unable to support themselves
and disintegrate.
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
The traditional problem of refugees and internally displaced persons that
accompanies most conflicts is exacerbated by the use of landmines. Mines
are increasingly used to terrorize civilian populations and channel their
movements, resulting in ever-larger numbers of displaced persons forced to
leave their homes. After hostilities cease, the continued presence of
mines on roads, in agricultural fields, and in buildings prevent
populations from returning to their homes. This destruction leaves large
areas of land uninhabited and uncultivated, hampering post-war
reconstruction efforts. The widespread presence of mines forces people
into urban centers, leading to overcrowding, high unemployment, and severe
health and sanitation problems.
Refugee camps face
similar problems. These camps are often makeshift, overcrowded, and serve
as breeding grounds for diseases. Mined roads impede the delivery of
humanitarian aid to these camps. Furthermore, the influx of refugees into
neighboring countries can be a burden on the host country and lead to
conflict and tension in refugee camps and among neighboring countries.
Economic Impact
Most mine-affected countries are agrarian societies whose economies are
predominantly defined by the quality and quantity of their agricultural
production. The peoples of these largely developing countries rely on the
land for their food and livelihood. However, the presence of mines in
agricultural fields renders large tracts of fertile soil unusable. Farmers
and peasants are unable to safely cultivate their land and livestock
feeding off the land are frequently killed by mines, constituting grave
economic losses for their owners. These cattle, goats, and other farm
animals are often villagers' only possessions. Mine contamination causes
local and national economies to suffer and entire populations to become
dependent on external food aid and other forms of international
assistance. Mines destroy national infrastructures and impede economic
development and reconstruction efforts. Transportation networks, power
lines, and water resources are damaged and inaccessible. The production
and distribution of fundamental goods and services is disrupted. Tourism
markets, an important source of income in many countries, suffer greatly.
In addition, mine clearance programs divert financial resources from
critical development and reconstruction projects. The direct and indirect
costs of landmine accidents also have a profound economic toll on most
mine-affected countries. Medical care is expensive and often unavailable.
The costs of surgery, prostheses, and psychosocial rehabilitation deplete
a country's already scarce resources, and families often cannot afford to
pay for necessary treatment. And because many landmine victims are unable
to return to work after their accidents, they frequently become a
financial burden on their families and communities.
One of the
long-term consequences of landmines is that mine-affected countries become
heavily dependent on the international community for humanitarian and
development assistance. However, funding for international aid projects is
not always adequate or evenly distributed among needy countries.
Furthermore, where funds or aid are available, relief organizations are
frequently unable to reach their intended destinations because
infrastructures, including roads and bridges, have been mined. The
inability to provide adequate food, shelter, medical supplies, and
government services perpetuates the cycle of despair endured daily by
millions of people worldwide.
Environmental Impact
In addition to the impact on their victims, landmines also have severe
environmental consequences. Mined areas can restrict access to large areas
of agricultural land, forcing populations to use small tracts of land to
earn their livelihoods. The limited productive land that is available is
over-cultivated, which contributes to long-term underproduction, as
minerals are depleted from the soil, and the loss of valuable vegetation.
Furthermore, landmines introduce poisonous substances into the environment
as their casings erode. Explosives commonly used in landmines, such as
trinitrotoluene (TNT), seep into the soil. The decomposition of these
substances can cause many environmental problems because they are often
water soluble, carcinogenic, toxic, and long-lasting. Landmines also harm
the environment when they explode, scattering debris, destroying
surrounding vegetation, and disrupting soil composition. This
substantially decreases the productivity of agricultural land and
increases an area's vulnerability to water and wind erosion, which in turn
can add sediment into drainage systems, adversely affecting water
habitats. Unexploded ordnance (UXO) detonations have similar results. One
study has shown that the detonation of UXO in the Vietnamese province of
Quang Tri has drastically reduced soil productivity. According to
estimates, rice production per hectare has decreased 50 percent in this
area.
The slow
degradation of landmines and their devastating impact on surrounding land
can render resources unusable for many generations. The environmental
impact of landmines is particularly pronounced when viewed in conjunction
with socioeconomic factors and other consequences of landmine
contamination.
Peace and Reconciliation
Landmines pose a continuous threat to peace and reconciliation. They
prevent post-conflict reconstruction of war-torn economies and can too
easily threaten fragile peace plans. Damaged infrastructures, including
roads, bridges, and water supplies, impede efforts to deliver relief
supplies to remote areas. This can perpetuate the cycle of poverty
inherent in so many mine-affected countries, leading to further tension
and conflict. Furthermore, these countries often become dependent on
external food aid and other forms of international assistance. This
dependency can undermine national pride and be exploited by extremist
groups intent on overthrowing national and local governments.
Landmines frequently prevent government access to politically important
regions, impeding efforts to deliver goods and services, and hampering
efforts to secure political support among local populations. A
government's failure in these two areas often leads mine-affected
communities to seek protection and assistance from armed groups, further
undermining the national government's attempts to restore peace to the
region. Opposition groups capitalize on this local support to enable them
to mobilize their forces and launch military attacks against government
troops. The presence of landmines perpetuates the militarization of
post-conflict societies and undermines the confidence and security needed
for successful peace and reconciliation.
For more information
mailto:info@rotariansformineaction.org.
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