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Articles 91 - 112 of 112

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Role Of Mine Action In Victim Assistance, Eric Filippino Dec 2002

The Role Of Mine Action In Victim Assistance, Eric Filippino

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Of the five pillars of mine action, victim assistance seems to receive the least attention. At the request of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) has recently completed a research project with a view to offering guidance on the future role of mine action in mine and UXO victim assistance.


Landmine Survivors Network Victim Assistance Programs, Cisr Jmu Dec 2002

Landmine Survivors Network Victim Assistance Programs, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Landmine Survivors Network (LSN) assists victims through the support of other landmine survivors. A number of programs and networks are available for coping and reintegrating survivors and their families back into their communities.


Assisting A Disabled Population: A Look At Victim Assistance In Afghanistan, Cisr Jmu Dec 2002

Assisting A Disabled Population: A Look At Victim Assistance In Afghanistan, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article has been removed


Lending A Helping Hand: Victim Assistance Programs In Africa, Cisr Jmu Dec 2002

Lending A Helping Hand: Victim Assistance Programs In Africa, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Many landmine victims face adverse situations when returning to their communities and trying to live as productive members of society. A number of programs in Africa for landmine victims and the disabled help people not only “get back on their feet,” but also “get back in the saddle” and gain the courage and knowledge to live among their peers with confidence.


Seven Common Myths About Landmine Victim Assistance, Dennis Barlow Dec 2002

Seven Common Myths About Landmine Victim Assistance, Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Any good mine action campaign will consider victim assistance. Yet there persist certain myths, which if not dealt with, make planning and conducting a victim assistance activity difficult at best. Anyone who wants to understand landmine victim assistance and further its cause should take heed of the following “myths” and plan accordingly.


Victim Assistance Policy Planning: Decentralization As A Key?, Philippe Chabasse Dec 2002

Victim Assistance Policy Planning: Decentralization As A Key?, Philippe Chabasse

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While victim assistance is becoming an increasingly familiar topic for signatories of the Mine Ban Treaty, the problem remains of how best to implement such programs. The author suggests that it is time for a switch from “top down” to “bottom up” implementation.


Aiding The Innocent: Victim Assistance In The Middle East, Cisr Jmu Dec 2001

Aiding The Innocent: Victim Assistance In The Middle East, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Hussein Khair Allah, a landmine survivor, recently spoke of his experience: "I was returning from a fishing trip on November 15, 1997, when I was injured by a landmine on the bank of the river Jordan, severing my right foot up to the ankle. I am a fisherman and the major source of my income was from fishing, which I am no longer able to do because of my injury. I need to work again to be able to support my wife and six children." Allah’s story mirrors those of many other landmine victims throughout the Middle East. However, Allah …


Landmine Survivor’S Network Provides Victim Assistance In Jordan, Kathleen Powers Dec 2001

Landmine Survivor’S Network Provides Victim Assistance In Jordan, Kathleen Powers

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to military figures, most mine incidents occurred during the latter part of the 1960s and early 1970s, when the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict spilled into Jordan. Incidents rose again during the early part of the 1990s due to heavy rains and floods that shifted landmines from their originally marked and mapped fields into unrecorded areas.


Victim Assistance In Central America: A Regional Effort, Juan Carlos Ruan Aug 2001

Victim Assistance In Central America: A Regional Effort, Juan Carlos Ruan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The OAS facilitates victim assistance efforts by connecting the victim to appropriate medical resources. As the OAS program continues its programs in the countries of


The U.S. Approach: Deminer Personal Protective Equipment Development, George Zahaczewsky Jun 2000

The U.S. Approach: Deminer Personal Protective Equipment Development, George Zahaczewsky

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The deminer and his partner began work at 0730. By 0850, they had cleared 50 square meters. Both men wore frag-jackets, helmets and visors. The victim was clearing by using his prodder. He was called to help his section leader remove grass from a large pothole in the road. As he returned at 0850, he stepped on a mine he had previously missed. (Extracted from the Database of Demining Incident Victims, 1999, Incident #53.)


Central America Landmine Survivors: The Need For Action In Nicaragua, William Boyce Jun 2000

Central America Landmine Survivors: The Need For Action In Nicaragua, William Boyce

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmines are indiscriminate weapons, wounding and killing not only soldiers but women and children as well. Although hostilities may cease, landmines continue to maim and kill 500 victims a week, the equivalent of 26,000 additional disabled persons each year. There are at least 250,000 landmine-disabled people in the world, and the number continues to grow.


Mercy Across Borders, Maureen Morton Oct 1999

Mercy Across Borders, Maureen Morton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

What is it worth when a life is on the line and every moment counts? Will initial first aid arrive? Is emergency surgery available? Are painkillers and antibiotics guaranteed? The landmine victim now waits for help that varies in quality according to international funding and whatever remains of post-conflict medical and community infrastructure. Prosthetics, physio, occupational , psychological therapies and home care are serious issues; conspicuous by their absence. Independent life skills need to be learned, and occupational training depends on the availability of work and on the type, degree and combination of disabilities.


Icbl Working Group On Victim Assistance, Jerry White Oct 1999

Icbl Working Group On Victim Assistance, Jerry White

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmine Survivors Network (LSN) currently chairs the ICBL Working Group on Victim Assistance. It is in this capacity, working together with over 20 humanitarian and development non-governmental organizations (NGOs), my ICBL colleagues and I welcome this opportunity to discuss Article 6 which covers States Parties responsibility to provide "care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration of mine victims."


Boch Non The Village Of Many Widows, Paul Giannone Oct 1999

Boch Non The Village Of Many Widows, Paul Giannone

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Battambang Province has rich soil, precious gems and forests. The area once produced enough food to feed the entire country. Now the major harvest is landmines and unexploded munitions. But the province, now at peace, does provide opportunity. Villages are springing up wherever road improvements are made. People are homesteading regardless of the risk of landmines and buried bombs or the fact that there is no infrastructure to support them. Those that can't cope, and many can't, end up back in refugee camps or destitute in the larger cities.


What You Should Know About Landmine Victims, Margaret S. Busé Oct 1999

What You Should Know About Landmine Victims, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

One million people have been killed and maimed by anti-personnel mines. Twenty-six thousand people a year become victims, 70 people a day, or around one person every 15 minutes. Three hundred thousand children and counting are severely disabled because of landmines. Half the people who step on an anti-personnel mine die from their injuries before they are found or taken to hospital. An even higher percentage of children die because, being smaller, their vital organs are closer to the blast. After the end of hostilities, decades afterwards, anyone who strays into a mine field is at risk. Everyone is vulnerable: …


Gathering In Geneva, Dennis Barlow Oct 1999

Gathering In Geneva, Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

From September 15- 17, 1999, victim assistance experts met in Geneva to provide input to the Standing Committee of Experts on Victim Assistance (VA), Socioeconomic Reintegration and Mine Awareness; one of several committees called into being as a result of meetings in Maputo dealing with mine action aspects of the Ottawa Treaty. T he foll owing observations are made in the context of that meeting, which was hosted by the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining.


Effect Of Conventional Weapons On Civilian Injuries, Robin M. Coupland, Hans O. Samnegaard Oct 1999

Effect Of Conventional Weapons On Civilian Injuries, Robin M. Coupland, Hans O. Samnegaard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The use of weapons against people or targets containing people inevitably has a direct impact on the health of those people. This impact is related to factors dependent on the design of weapons and on their use. The nature of injury is closely related to the design of the weapon; wounds from bullets, fragments, and buried anti-personnel mines are distinguishable. Factors dependent on the user, such as discipline and desire to avoid or injure civilians, determine the number and kind of people injured and may, in the case of bullets, determine which part of the body is injured. This century …


Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, Cisr Journal Oct 1999

Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Prosthetics Outreach Foundation (POF) is a non profit medical service organization that provides urgently needed high quality prostheses (artificial limbs) to amputees in developing countries and in the United States. Since 1988, the staff and volunteers have fitted over 10,000 children and adults with new prostheses, enabling each amputee to walk again with dignity. POF helps communities to meet the needs of their own amputees by establishing clinics to create and fit artificial limbs and workshops to manufacture prosthetic components with local materials.


Defining The Pillar Of Victim Assistance, Sue Eitel Oct 1999

Defining The Pillar Of Victim Assistance, Sue Eitel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mine victim assistance has become one of the main agendas on the international political platform. The United Nations' definition of mine victim assistance includes the identification and clearance of mines, mine risk education and victim assistance. The increase in attention to mine victim assistance is a result of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, as well as efforts from the late Diana, Princess of Wales.


Can We Face The Landmine Victims?, Clarice Taylor Oct 1999

Can We Face The Landmine Victims?, Clarice Taylor

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A crowd of "mutilados," Portuguese for the mutilated ones, gathered outside the CARE office in Menongue, Angola. Among them were a few with prosthetic limbs, mostly ill fitting. As for the rest of the legless, they got around on crutches that looked like found objects. Several people in the crowd had lost an arm, one person was missing both. Another man had the requisite number of arms and legs, but no hands. These were survivors of landmines.


Aim And Objectives Of The Landmine Victims Data Collection, A. Aziz Ahmadzai Oct 1998

Aim And Objectives Of The Landmine Victims Data Collection, A. Aziz Ahmadzai

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The 20 years of war in Afghanistan, beside other legacies, has left over 850 square kilometers of land and approximately 1,500 villages contaminated with landmines. Although official figures are not available, it is estimated that more than 400,000 people have either been killed or maimed by these perilous weapons. The majority of the over 400,000 victims are civilians, many of whom are women and children. Despite these facts, no proper and reliable data on the landmine victims in Afghanistan has yet been collected by any agency or organization. The Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA), with its mandate to conduct landmine-related …


A Real Survivor: Ken Rutherford, David M. Ahearn Jun 1998

A Real Survivor: Ken Rutherford, David M. Ahearn

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ken Rutherford did not choose to join the humanitarian demining community. Rather, fate intervened when a landmine blew up his car as he traveled along the Somalian border where he was working as a loan officer helping to rebuild the Somalian economy. The encounter with the mine forever changed Ken Rutherford's life, for at that moment, he suddenly became a landmine victim. More importantly, he became a landmine survivor.