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Full-Text Articles in Emergency and Disaster Management
2008, A Year Of Advances And Accomplishments, Johanna Garcia Garcia, Erika Estrada Chau
2008, A Year Of Advances And Accomplishments, Johanna Garcia Garcia, Erika Estrada Chau
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Since 1990, the Organization of American States’ national demining assistance programs have been working to educate citizens about landmines and eliminate existing minefields in Nicaragua. The OAS Acción Integral contra las Minas Antipersonal program has successfully worked to coordinate with the Ministry of Education, local representatives, community leaders and volunteers to promote awareness about landmines, protect people from further injuries and provide rehabilitation for survivors.
Victim Assistance: Still Seeking The Way, Suzanne Fiederlein
Victim Assistance: Still Seeking The Way, Suzanne Fiederlein
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article looks at the progress made in the area of victim assistance since 2002 with special attention paid to data collection, funding and program coordination.
Local Ngos And Firms In Mine Action, Eric Filippino, Ted Paterson
Local Ngos And Firms In Mine Action, Eric Filippino, Ted Paterson
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
As more local nongovernmental organizations develop, establishing a distinction between local NGOs and commercial companies has become a growing concern for potential donors. The differences between NGOs and firms can be difficult to determine at times.
Children Of Cambodia’S Killing Fields: Memoirs By Survivors, Book Review
Children Of Cambodia’S Killing Fields: Memoirs By Survivors, Book Review
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
It is impossible to comprehend something as vast as the killing fields of Cambodia unless one can reduce it to the personal. Imagine the devastation wrought from the creeping irreversible loss of memory felt by an Alzheimer’s patient. As the disease progresses with unrelenting tenacity, it obliterates any sense of family or community, leaving the victim isolated, frightened and powerless.
Erw And Survivor Assistance In Central Vietnam, Ari Perlstein, Imbert Matthee
Erw And Survivor Assistance In Central Vietnam, Ari Perlstein, Imbert Matthee
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In central Vietnam, the problem of unexploded ordnance and landmine contamination is still particularly serious, and casualty rates continue to be high in certain areas. The following is an overview of Clear Path International’s activities in the region, and includes an analysis of the most recent data collected about explosive remnants of war incidents.
Landmine Victim Assistance Progress, Challenges And Best Practices, Michael Lundquist
Landmine Victim Assistance Progress, Challenges And Best Practices, Michael Lundquist
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
While progress has been made in several areas of mine action, victim assistance is facing a number of new challenges. This article presents these challenges and three areas of best practice: addressing complex needs, developing capacity and leadership, and broadening interest in the issue.
Basra, Iraq, Prosthetics Project, Cisr Journal
Basra, Iraq, Prosthetics Project, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Basra, Iraq, Prosthetics Project, has given new hope to the many amputees in Iraq. With thousands already affected by the aftermath of landmines and other explosive remnants of war in Iraq, the Basra Prosthetics Project is dedicated to giving amputees their independence and futures back, literally one step at a time.
Surveys To Achieve Quality Of Life For Landmine Survivors, Reykhan Muminova
Surveys To Achieve Quality Of Life For Landmine Survivors, Reykhan Muminova
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Minefields along Tajikistan's borders with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as centrally concentrated civil-war minefields continue to kill and injure Tajik citizens. Through victim-assistance projects, the Tajikistan Mine Action Centre hopes that all landmine survivors can be physically rehabilitated and socially and economically reintegrated into their communities.
Vocational Training And Wheelchairs, Huoy Socheat, Chin Yok
Vocational Training And Wheelchairs, Huoy Socheat, Chin Yok
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article talks about two associations that work together to improve the lives of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities in Cambodia by providing skills training, counseling and wheelchairs.
The Yemen Association For Landmine And Uxo Survivors, Anne Capelle
The Yemen Association For Landmine And Uxo Survivors, Anne Capelle
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Since its creation in September 2004 by the Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre, the Yemen Association for Landmine and UXO Survivors has played an active role in raising awareness of mine-affected areas and in promoting socioeconomic reintegration of mine/unexploded ordnance survivors through educational programs. Currently, YALS and YEMAC are working together with the goal of reintegrating 500 survivors by 2009.
Developing Medical Capacity In Lao Pdr, Barbara Lewis, Sarah Bruinooge
Developing Medical Capacity In Lao Pdr, Barbara Lewis, Sarah Bruinooge
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Prior to 1996, Laotian victims of unexploded ordnance were left with few options for medical treatment. Since that time, however, the inadequacy of the healthcare system to handle such situations has been addressed and improvements made possible through the efforts of the World Victims Assistance Program. Though UXO accidents will continue to occur in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic well into the future, the impact of programs implemented by World Education and numerous other nongovernmental organizations and government entities has contributed to a significant increase in the number of survivors who have received effective treatment.
Expanding Economic Opportunities In Lebanon, Toufic Rizkallah
Expanding Economic Opportunities In Lebanon, Toufic Rizkallah
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Following years of devastation from war, the infrastructure of the district of Jizzine in southern Lebanon was in shambles and the residents left without employment and dependent on agricultural products from outside the region. In February 2002, in an effort to re-establish self-sufficiency in the district, the World Rehabilitation Fund with support from the United States Agency for International Development and the Leahy War Victims Fund, formed The Development Cooperative in Jizzine (Co-op). By providing technical and material assistance to war/landmine victims, the Co-op has proven to be increasingly capable of addressing multiple socioeconomic needs of landmine survivors and other …
Empowering Iraqis: Rehabilitation Training In Bosnia, Nikola Prvulov, Julie Miller
Empowering Iraqis: Rehabilitation Training In Bosnia, Nikola Prvulov, Julie Miller
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article discusses the role that aid workers from Bosnia have had in training Iraqi medical personnel to treat war injuries. It stresses the role that nongovernmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations have had in supporting these efforts and how countries affected by unexploded ordnance and landmines have tried to share their experience with other countries in need of training and assistance.
Azerbaijan Mine Victim Association: The Story So Far, Nick Nwolisa
Azerbaijan Mine Victim Association: The Story So Far, Nick Nwolisa
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Due to years of conflict, Azerbaijan has become yet another territory contaminated with dangerous landmines and unexploded ordnance; however, the Azerbaijan Mine Victim Association, a nongovernmental organization which started in the Terter region of Azerbaijan, has been working hard to help assist mine victims. Their organization, a product of the International Eurasia Press Fund, has received international recognition by organizations such as the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is continuing to provide mine-risk education and support for survivors and their families.
Iraq Mine And Uxo Clearance Organization, Cisr Journal
Iraq Mine And Uxo Clearance Organization, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
For Iraq, being plagued by landmines is only one of the many problems that it is currently facing. The country also suffers from sectarian violence, internal instability and economic hardship. As the government transforms its mine-action policy, one organization, the Iraq Mine and UXO [Unexploded Ordnance] Clearance Organization, has proven itself to be a powerful force in addressing the urgent needs of the Iraqi community. Though it faces challenges itself, IMCO shows great promise for rebuilding Iraq and stands as a model for future Iraqi nongovernmental organizations.
The Supreme Choice, Cisr Journal
The Supreme Choice, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In August 2007, the Humpty Dumpty Institute named a new spokesperson, Mary Wilson, famous to many for her performances with the popular vocal group the Supremes. Wilson has taken up her new responsibilities with zeal, representing HDI on a trip to mine-affected areas in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Sri Lanka. Wilson took time to talk with the Journal of Mine Action’s Daniele Ressler. This profile is the result of that interview.
Adnan Al Aboudi And The Landmine Survivors Network Of Jordan, Cisr Journal
Adnan Al Aboudi And The Landmine Survivors Network Of Jordan, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Since a life-altering car accident left him permanently disabled in 1989, Adnan Al Aboudi has dedicated his life and career to victim assistance in mine action. Al Aboudi, along with his organization, Landmine Survivors Network–Jordan, has developed a unique humanistic approach to mine action. They focus on psychological as well as physical recovery for disabled victims of explosive remnants of war. Through his hard work and perseverance, Al Aboudi has raised national and international awareness of the importance of victim assistance in mine action.
Cluster Munitions: Should They Be Banned?, Henry Dowlen, Md
Cluster Munitions: Should They Be Banned?, Henry Dowlen, Md
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Cluster munitions have been used in at least 23 countries, produced in 33 and stockpiled in over 70; their submunitions number into the billions. They cause lasting humanitarian problems and have recently been the target of campaigns to ban their use. This article aims to summarize the history, utility, legacy and legislation surrounding cluster munitions.
Medical Support To Demining In Sudan, Russell Wyper
Medical Support To Demining In Sudan, Russell Wyper
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
With an area of more than one million square miles (2,589,988 square kilometers), Sudan is the largest country on the African continent and has been at the center of decades of conflict since it gained its independence in 1959. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January 2005 brought to end a vicious civil war and marked the beginning of an era of relative peace. This article outlines the health challenges involved in mine action in Sudan and highlights the actions taken by the United Nations Mine Action Office in Sudan to address issues of medical support to humanitarian-demining operations in …
Engaging Armed Non-State Actors In A Landmine Ban: A Review Of Geneva Call’S Action, 2000–2007, Pascal Bongard
Engaging Armed Non-State Actors In A Landmine Ban: A Review Of Geneva Call’S Action, 2000–2007, Pascal Bongard
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Geneva Call has been engaging armed non-state actors in a landmine ban since 2000. The Swiss-based nongovernmental organization was created in response to the realization that the landmine problem could only be comprehensively addressed if NSAs, who are the primary users of such weapons today, were included in the solution. To facilitate the process, Geneva Call has developed an innovative mechanism—the Deed of Commitment for Adherence to a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine Action—that enables NSAs, who cannot accede to the Ottawa Convention, to undertake to respect its norms.
Scrap-Metal Risk Intervention: Technology Supporting Munitions-Risk Education, Allan R. Vosburgh
Scrap-Metal Risk Intervention: Technology Supporting Munitions-Risk Education, Allan R. Vosburgh
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
With scrap-metal collecting and do-it-yourself demining on the rise in many countries, Allan Vosburgh of the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation has suggested a new type of “MRE”: munitions-risk education. If this idea works, munitions-risk education could not only prevent serious injuries but also may potentially help in the fight against unexploded ordnance.
Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield
Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining provides operational assistance to mine-action programs and operators, creates and disseminates knowledge, works to improve quality management and standards and provides support to instruments of international law.
Total Quality Management In Mine Action, Daniel Eriksson
Total Quality Management In Mine Action, Daniel Eriksson
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Here the author relays the relationship between information management and quality management and how the latter depends on the efficiency of the former. With increasingly better tools for mine-action programs in the field of information management, such as the new versions of the Information Management System for Mine Action, the author discusses how mine action will move into a new age of information technology that will allow for better proficiency in the field.
Mine Action Support Group Update, Cisr Journal
Mine Action Support Group Update, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group, including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF. It is excerpted from the United Nations' newsletter covering the period from January to April 2008
Burma (Myanmar), Country Profile
Burma (Myanmar), Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Burma gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1948. Shortly afterward, the country plunged into civil war among various political groups while also facing an insurgency in the state of Karen. Over 50 years later, a military junta now controls the government and an insurgency remains in Karen. This near-constant state of conflict has resulted in the widespread use of landmines in both developed and underdeveloped parts of the country. The instability of the government and insecurity in many rural areas have made survivor assistance difficult and inconsistent
Cambodia, Country Profile
Cambodia, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Plagued by nearly three decades of war, Cambodia remains one of the countries most afflicted by landmines and explosive remnants of war despite its recent decline in mine/ERW victims. There are nearly 14 million people living in Cambodia, and it is estimated that there are 43,316 survivors of landmines/unexploded ordnance who require assistance.
Colombia, Country Profile
Colombia, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
As a country plagued with landmines, Colombia has faced a number of challenges relating to victim assistance. To remedy this situation, various government programs have been developed, but their effectiveness has frequently been compromised. Thanks to a number of private organizations, strides are being made to improve victim assistance.
Pakistan, Country Profile
Pakistan, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Pakistan is not a signatory of the Ottawa Convention but is a member of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Funding for mine action is difficult in Pakistan because the Mine Ban Convention was not ratified; consequently, prospective donors are less likely to invest in Pakistan’s landmine removal and victim-assistance endeavors. The lack of financial support as well as support from the government has made mine action—and specifically victim assistance—very difficult. The government’s stance is that landmines are important for the country’s security, especially along the borders of Afghanistan and India where disputes over land continue.
Lebanon, Country Profile
Lebanon, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Years of conflict and foreign occupation have left Lebanon riddled with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Contamination from explosive remnants of war increased dramatically as a result of the introduction and use of cluster munitions in the July–August 2006 conflict with Israel. According to the Landmine Monitor’s 2007 report on Lebanon, the use of cluster munitions resulted in the contamination of approximately 500,000 undetonated, unexploded munitions and 15,300 other varieties of UXO. In addition to the increased cluster-bomb contamination, Lebanon remains contaminated with anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines from the Lebanese War (1975–1990).
Somalia, Country Profile
Somalia, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In 1960, Britain and Italy ended their colonial rule in Somaliland. British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland combined, creating the new state of Somalia. In 1969, however, the young nation was overthrown by Mohamed Siad Barre, who set up the authoritarian and socialist state of Somalia, bringing much-needed stability to the nation, despite his known corruption. 1991 marked the ousting of this authoritarian rule and began 15 years of anarchy and chaos as a variety of groups struggled for control of the nation or claimed regions of it as their own. At this point Somaliland broke away from Somalia as a …