Another report blasts cluster bombs

A new report published by Handicap International UK has found that “civilians constitute 98% of all recorded cluster submunitions casualties.” The authors say their report documents the impact of cluster munitions on the lives of people in all 24 countries and regions which are known to be affected by these weapons. (The report can be downloaded from here.)

The Age today summarises some of the report’s findings:

The overwhelming majority of people killed or maimed by cluster bombs are civilians and a significant number of those are children, an unprecedented study into the lasting impact of the controversial weapons system published yesterday shows.

Research in 24 countries revealed more than 11,000 confirmed casualties of cluster munitions. Extrapolated, the total figure could be as high as 100,000, says Handicap International, the charity that carried out the survey. ...

In some areas of Iraq, it says, casualties from unexploded cluster submunitions account for between 75 and 80 per cent of all casualties.

Some readers may recall the Iraq Body Count report of July 2005, which found that “children were disproportionately affected by all explosive devices, but most severely by air strikes and unexploded ordnance.” Almost 10 per cent of recorded fatalities were children under 18, and 73.5 per cent of people killed by unexploded ordnance were children. Of course, “unexploded ordnance” includes cluster bombs, which a number of NGOs pleaded with the invading forces, well before the invasion, not to use where there were civilians.

Does anyone still doubt that the use of these vile devices ought to be banned by any nation wishing to call itself ‘civilised’?

 
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