Photo: Landmine survivors learning to walk with their new prosthetics at the Kien Khleang Rehabilitation Centre in Phnom Penh in this file photo.
*****
More than 11 years after the Mine Ban Treaty was signed in Ottawa, programs and services to help landmine survivors continue to be inadequate and under funded, according to the latest Landmine Monitor report.
In 2007, there were 5,426 casualties caused by mines, explosive remnants of war (ERW) and victim-activated improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to Landmine Monitor.
A third of all casualties were children.
While it is true that weapons not covered by the Mine Ban Treaty caused many casualties, victim assistance advocates stress the need to support all people who suffer the debilitating effects of victim-activated weapons.
Helping landmine survivors recover from the trauma of a mine strike, equipping them with prosthetics and re-integrating them back into society is a complicated, time consuming and expensive proposition.
In 2007, funding for all five areas of mine action (clearance, stockpile destruction, mine risk education, advocacy and victim assistance) was down almost 10 per cent from 2006, according to Landmine Monitor.
Victim assistance advocates are particularly troubled because support for landmine survivors seems to receive the least amount of aid – estimated to be between two and six per cent of all mine action monies.
“For many years, (International Campaign to Ban Landmines) campaigners and a few interested donor states have been advocating for increased funding for victim assistance,” said Katleen Maes, research coordinator with Handicap International in an email interview.
“This has led to an increased awareness of what victim assistance constitutes, but not necessarily more funding. Therefore, the issue is probably more about ensuring access and inclusion of survivors to general development, health and disability projects when possible, while at the same time making sure that specialized services can continue to exist,” said Ms. Maes.
Increasing capacity to help landmine survivors in developing countries has always been a challenge. Many experts feel affected nations must take more ownership of victim assistance programs themselves.
“What we think is essential is that victim assistance plans are incorporated into a country's mechanisms on human rights, disability and development,” said a spokesperson with the Washington D.C., based NGO, Survivor Corps.
“It is our position that by including those most affected, the programs developed will be more effective, efficient, and realistically responding to the actual needs of the survivor population on the ground.”
Currently, there are 26 State Parties (to the Mine Ban Treaty) with significant numbers of landmine survivors.
Sadly, 21 of those State Parties are listed in Landmine Monitor as being “slow in making progress towards victim assistance aims.”
Clearly, there is a long way to go to improve the quality of life for landmine survivors.
Many ICBL campaigners are hoping that the recently negotiated Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) will have a trickle-down effect, as the wording in the CCM is stronger than in the original Mine Ban Treaty, with respect to the provision of victim assistance.
“The stronger provisions of the CCM should ensure that more complete, focused and coordinated victim assistance is conducted, but a strong action plan should be developed as soon as possible to guide these efforts and to ensure implementation as soon as possible,” said Ms. Maes.
“On the process side, the main difference will be that states can be held accountable. They will have to report and show progress more rigorously – a norm that will hopefully transfer to the Mine Ban Treaty,” she added.
Posts
