Lebanon: UXO awareness campaign starts in the south
Upwards of 20,000 unexploded rockets, mortars, artillery shells and cluster munitions have fallen on fields, roads and buildings in the south, according to Ray Bonniwell, Security Advisor with World Vision’s Global Rapid Response Team (GRRT) in Lebanon.
“The UXOs could remain uncleared and dangerous for months to come,” Bonniwell said. “They are a problem in villages and surrounding areas where World Vision has operated and may focus its relief operations in coming weeks.”
Upwards of 20,000 unexploded rockets, mortars, artillery shells and cluster munitions have fallen on fields, roads and buildings in the south In response, World Vision is funding the printing and distribution of some 100,000 posters and leaflets, along with teacher training kits, children\'s games and books, as well as television spots to educate Lebanese children and their families about the dangers of UXOs. Awareness-raising television spots will be produced. Some materials will be distributed by World Vision and other NGOs to people traveling on roads through the south within the next week.
“We know this project will save people here, especially children, from injuries and death,” said Judy Moore, Senior Relief Associate with the Global Rapid Response Team (GRRT) in Lebanon. “There’s an absolute urgency to do this now because there are so few bomb disposal personnel in country. Nor can we operate freely in the south, because of UXOs.”
Bonniwell explained that cluster munitions are the most plentiful and lethal UXOs in southern Lebanon.
“They’ve been dropped from planes and are strewn over large areas, including civilian population centers,” he said. “Each bomb has enough explosive capacity to kill or seriously maim multiple people within a 5-to15-foot radius.”
Bonniwell noted that 17 children have been killed by UXOs in the first week after the August 14 cease-fire.
“Children were born after the civil war, and they don’t recognize the UXOs for what they are,” he said. “They’ll pick them up when they see them, because they’re naturally inquisitive.”
“While a lot of UXOs may be cleared from major towns within the next 6-8 months, that still leaves all the rural farmlands contaminated. Even UXOs that aren’t imbedded aren’t visible, due to all the dust that’s blowing around and covers them,” Bonniwell added.
Last Friday, an unexploded mortar was spotted by a GRRT assessment team while travelling on a tarmac road in the south.
Children were born after the civil war, and they don’t recognize the UXOs for what they are,” he said. “They’ll pick them up when they see them, because they’re naturally inquisitive “It was partially imbedded in the road and could have blown off the front half of our vehicle if we driven over it,” Bonniwell said. “We marked its location and phoned the Lebanese army for disposal by their bomb squad.”
In the first village visited by the team, the mayor exhibited two halves of a detonated cluster bomb sitting on his desk.
“This is a very dangerous environment for returning families, and especially for children,” said Dr. Alie Hejazi, mayor of Debbine village. “There are lots of unexploded cluster munitions around here – children shouldn’t come back here. They’ll find the bombs and play with them.”
“The UXOs could remain uncleared and dangerous for months to come,” Bonniwell said. “They are a problem in villages and surrounding areas where World Vision has operated and may focus its relief operations in coming weeks.”
Upwards of 20,000 unexploded rockets, mortars, artillery shells and cluster munitions have fallen on fields, roads and buildings in the south In response, World Vision is funding the printing and distribution of some 100,000 posters and leaflets, along with teacher training kits, children\'s games and books, as well as television spots to educate Lebanese children and their families about the dangers of UXOs. Awareness-raising television spots will be produced. Some materials will be distributed by World Vision and other NGOs to people traveling on roads through the south within the next week.
“We know this project will save people here, especially children, from injuries and death,” said Judy Moore, Senior Relief Associate with the Global Rapid Response Team (GRRT) in Lebanon. “There’s an absolute urgency to do this now because there are so few bomb disposal personnel in country. Nor can we operate freely in the south, because of UXOs.”
Bonniwell explained that cluster munitions are the most plentiful and lethal UXOs in southern Lebanon.
“They’ve been dropped from planes and are strewn over large areas, including civilian population centers,” he said. “Each bomb has enough explosive capacity to kill or seriously maim multiple people within a 5-to15-foot radius.”
Bonniwell noted that 17 children have been killed by UXOs in the first week after the August 14 cease-fire.
“Children were born after the civil war, and they don’t recognize the UXOs for what they are,” he said. “They’ll pick them up when they see them, because they’re naturally inquisitive.”
“While a lot of UXOs may be cleared from major towns within the next 6-8 months, that still leaves all the rural farmlands contaminated. Even UXOs that aren’t imbedded aren’t visible, due to all the dust that’s blowing around and covers them,” Bonniwell added.
Last Friday, an unexploded mortar was spotted by a GRRT assessment team while travelling on a tarmac road in the south.
Children were born after the civil war, and they don’t recognize the UXOs for what they are,” he said. “They’ll pick them up when they see them, because they’re naturally inquisitive “It was partially imbedded in the road and could have blown off the front half of our vehicle if we driven over it,” Bonniwell said. “We marked its location and phoned the Lebanese army for disposal by their bomb squad.”
In the first village visited by the team, the mayor exhibited two halves of a detonated cluster bomb sitting on his desk.
“This is a very dangerous environment for returning families, and especially for children,” said Dr. Alie Hejazi, mayor of Debbine village. “There are lots of unexploded cluster munitions around here – children shouldn’t come back here. They’ll find the bombs and play with them.”
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