Landmine danger persists in Somalia

“Thousands of landmines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) scattered in parts of Somalia over past decades of conflict are emerging as a threat to the relative security now being enjoyed there, with inadequate demining expertise posing a challenge, say officials.” 

For more, read the full IRIN article here.

2012 Ends Tragically in Vietnam as War-Era Bomb Kills One Boy, Injures Two - AlertNet

In central Vietnam’s Nghe An province, “three boys hunting crabs encountered a war-era cluster bomb and, thinking it harmless, threw it into a nearby drainage ditch” causing it to explode, according to a report on AlertNet by Clear Path International. 12-year-old Le Van Thang died of his injuries.  “The other two boys, Duong Van Long, 15, and Le Van Loc, 12, were both badly hurt but are expected to recover.”

Decades after the guns fell silent, the American War in Vietnam continues to claim lives.  Reporting from Vietnam, I personally witnessed all sorts of lethal unexploded ordnance — from M-79 grenades to cluster bombs — scattered in the fields where adults work, children play and animals graze.  All too often, people fall victim to these rusting munitions, as happened just a few days ago.  The Associated Press reports that a “mortar shell left from the Vietnam War… exploded in a southern village, killing four children and seriously injuring five other people.”   

projectrenew:

Integrated Mine/UXO Risk Education does entertain kids who live in UXO-contaminated areas.

Several years ago, while reporting from Vietnam, I headed into the equivalent of a live minefield — a future construction site littered with unexploded ordnance left from what the Vietnamese call the “American War.”  I went there to cover the work of a demining team from Project Renew: a 16-member Vietnamese unit, overseen by Australian explosive ordnance disposal supervisor.

That day, the team disposed of an M-79 round — a 40 mm high-explosive projectile fired from a breach-loading, single-shot U.S. grenade launcher — making the country a little safer.  Having seen kids permanently scarred by old ordnance and having interviewed grieving parents who lost children to old American bombs, it was gratifying to witness the folks from Project Renew in action.

I see that Project Renew, which calls itself  a “humanitarian mine action organization dedicated to cleaning up explosive remnants of war,” now has a Tumblr.  Please consider following them.  They do great work at great risk to shield future generations from the horrors of the past.

Several years ago, while reporting from Vietnam, I headed into the equivalent of a live minefield — a future construction site littered with unexploded ordnance left from what the Vietnamese call the “American War.”  I went there to cover the work of a demining team from Project Renew: a 16-member Vietnamese unit, overseen by Australian explosive ordnance disposal supervisor.

That day, the team disposed of an M-79 round — a 40 mm high-explosive projectile fired from a breach-loading, single-shot U.S. grenade launcher — making the country a little safer.  Having seen kids permanently scarred by old ordnance and having interviewed grieving parents who lost children to old American bombs, it was gratifying to witness the folks from Project Renew in action.

I see that Project Renew, which calls itself  a “humanitarian mine action organization dedicated to cleaning up explosive remnants of war,” now has a Tumblr.  Please consider following them.  They do great work at great risk to shield future generations from the horrors of the past.

“Landmines are a big problem here; my sister was blown up in 2007 after she visited this village [Lelabur in Ngomoromo] in the hope of returning,” Roselina Achan recently told IRIN in Ngomoromo, northern Uganda’s Lamwo district.

(via IRIN Africa | SOUTH SUDAN-UGANDA: Mine clearance to boost agriculture | South Sudan | Uganda | Conflict | Early Warning | Environment | Food Security)

IRIN Africa | SUDAN: Land mines add to security worries in south

According to IRIN, the United Nations’ news agency, “[f]ighting between the Southern Sudanese army and an array of armed opposition movements is severely limiting the ability of humanitarian agencies to reach vulnerable populations.”