Handicap International Luxembourg today released a report regarding the United Nations' recent highlighting of the suffering of civilian populations living under threats of bombings and armed conflict.
The Luxembourg branch of the NGO, as a member of the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW) , expressed its support of statements made by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, in which he called for stricter international standards in the protection of civilians. Handicap International recently published a report on the impact of explosive weapons in Syria as well as information on the risk of non-exploded weapons in Kobanî.
Ban Ki-Moon's denouncement of the use of explosive weapons followed his last report, on 18 June 2015, in which he also urged States to develop a regulation halting the use of explosive weapons within the radius of populated areas. The Secretary-General also encouraged States to support a September meeting hosted by Austria in Vienna, which will begin to discuss how a commitment to establish stronger international standards may be developed.
"States must now respond to this call by engaging internationally to stop the bombing of populated areas," stated Thomas Nash, Coordinator of INEW. "It is precisely the use of explosive weapons in populated areas which is killing civilians in current conflicts."
"When explosive weapons are launched in populated areas such as towns, cities and IDP camps, there is a clear desire to cause harm on civilians," continued Roos Boer of PAX. "Death, injury and damage to homes and public infrastructure are immediate and predictable results. The long-term consequences are equally devastating: the civilians are denied access to housing, education, health care and other infrastructure necessary and are forced to flee. Explosives and leftover toxic residues prevent the secure return of populations and may prevent civilians from rebuilding their lives and regaining their livelihoods."
Actions have already been adopted by military forces to limit the use of explosuve weapons on civilians. NATO, for example, have restricted the use of air strikes in Afghanistan through various directives since 2008, helping to save civilian lives.
"The situation in Syria is a striking illustration of the consequences of explosive weapons on civilians," said Alma Al Osta of Handicap International. "When we interviewed displaced people in Syria, 60% of people who received injuries during the conflict had been injured by explosive weapons. Most of them had very serious injuries: one quarter had suffered amputations."
Director of Handicap International, Martin Lagneau, added: "In Gaza, a year after the conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups was triggered on 7 July 2014, the situation remains very worrying: 4500 explosive devices remain under the rubble of homes and buildings. These devices constitute a constant deadly threat for civilians to returning to their quarters."
NGO Human Rights Watch has also stated that putting an end to weapons containing large amounts of explosives, the use of multiple forms of ammunition and the indiscriminate use of these weapons represents the only significant action that States can take to protect civilians in armed conflicts.
More then forty countries have publicly acknowledged this serious humanitarian issue. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts, the UN Coordinator of Emergency Assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross, civil society organisations and, more recently, the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Gaza Conflict have all called on relevant parties to take measures to prevent further damage in populated areas.
The latest report from organisation 'Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)' registered at least 41,847 people were killed by explosive weapons in 2014, with the worst places for civilian harm from explosive weapons cited as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Gaza, Ukraine, Syria and Yemen.
"Our data showed that year after year it was the civilians bearing the brunt of damage caused by explosive weapons worldwide," commented Rob Perkins, lead author of the report. "Indeed, in 2014, 92% of victims of armed explosives used in populated areas were civilians. The impact on civilians is devastating and governments must take steps to address this global problem."
Photos by Handicap International
