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Articles 31 - 60 of 135
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
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.
India, Country Profile
India, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
An estimated 30 to 50 million people in India suffer from a disability. This number translates to about 3 to 5 percent of the 1.13 billion inhabitants. The country is plagued by a variety of issues, including overpopulation, poverty, internal conflict,and contamination by landmines as well as other explosive remnants of war.
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.
Lao Pdr, Country Profile
Lao Pdr, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is the world’s most heavily unexploded ordnance-contaminated nation, deeply affecting the country’s people. During the Second Indochina War (also known as the Vietnam–American War), the United States carried out more than half a million bombing missions over Lao PDR, during which over two million tons (1.8 million metric tonnes) of ordnance were dropped. Up to 30 percent of this ordnance failed to explode,leaving behind a serious UXO contamination that still kills and maims innocent men, women and children in one of the poorest nations in the world.
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.
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 …
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).
Vietnam, Country Profile
Vietnam, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Vietnam, a country of more than 85 million people, has one of the world’s highest rates of disabled citizens—greater than 6 percent of the entire population. That figure is partially attributable to contamination by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which encroaches on more than 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles) and up to one-fifth of the country’s land surface. As a result, the Landmine Monitor Report has estimated that there are currently some 66,380 survivors of mines and explosive remnants of war in Vietnam—4,000 of whom received survivor services in 2006.
Occupied Palestinian Territories, Country Profile
Occupied Palestinian Territories, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
A half-century of conflict has contributed to the current unstable situation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, split between the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the Fatah-controlled West Bank. Both explosive ordnance and unexploded ordnance remain from the civil struggle between Hamas and Fatah political factions, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earlier this year, Israeli forces imposed dominion over the Gaza Strip, plunging the region into a humanitarian crisis. On 23 January 2008, a series of Hamas-detonated landmine explosions along the border wall in Rafah, Gaza Strip, opened passage for tens of thousands of Palestinians to escape into Egypt. No signs …
The Halo Trust And Hstamids, Chris Boshoff, Roger Cresci
The Halo Trust And Hstamids, Chris Boshoff, Roger Cresci
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
A technology that employs multiple mine-detection techniques could improve demining around the world. Six months of using this product on-site have shown exciting results. Benefits of using this demining tool include increased effectiveness, speed and safety. This device was initially manufactured and used for military purposes only. The process of making it available to non-military organizations was difficult but successful.
Improved Landmine Discrimination With An Off-The-Shelf Metal Detector, Marc Freese, Edwardo Fukushima, Shigeo Hirose
Improved Landmine Discrimination With An Off-The-Shelf Metal Detector, Marc Freese, Edwardo Fukushima, Shigeo Hirose
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
While a lot of improvement has been achieved with metal detectors in detection depth and ground rejection, little effort has been directed toward better discrimination capabilities; high false-positive rates not only increase clearance time, they tend to lower deminer vigilance, causing accidents. The authors have modeled a statically operating, off-the-shelf metal detector by generating volumetric sensitivity profiles. They present in-laboratory measurements and results of experiments on a test demining site in Cambodia. This article aims at giving deminers a more informed view of metallic targets, allowing them to take differentiated actions during target identification and removal.
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.
Testing The Effectiveness And Survivability Of The Mini Minewolf, Thomas Sponfeldner
Testing The Effectiveness And Survivability Of The Mini Minewolf, Thomas Sponfeldner
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The following test results illustrate the Mini MineWolf’s viability in the field. First, Mini MineWolf’s ability to neutralize simulated anti-personnel mines was tested in three different soil types and at varying depths. The machine was then subjected to live anti-tank blasts by the German Army and the Canadian Centre for Mine Action Technologies.
New Uxo Detector With Metal-Discrimination Option, Jürgen Braunstein, Armin Merz, Markus Sautter, Gerhard Vallon
New Uxo Detector With Metal-Discrimination Option, Jürgen Braunstein, Armin Merz, Markus Sautter, Gerhard Vallon
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
A forerunner in the field of metal detection, Vallon GmbH has recently developed the VMXC1—an unexploded-ordnance detector specifically designed to determine the presence of submunitions. The detector’ innovative metal-discrimination option allows for fewer false alarms during UXO clearance. Field results of the new detector are discussed below.
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.
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 …
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
Minada America, Documentary Review
Minada America, Documentary Review
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Minada America, produced by photojournalists Vinicius Souza and Maria Eugênia Sá, is a book and film package documenting the lives of Latin Americans devastated by landmines and other explosive remnants of war. Dismayed by the lack of media attention to the problem of landmines and ERW, the producers' main goal is to expose the problem to a world that is largely oblivious to the tragedies they cause
Operating With Uxo Containing White Phosphorus, Ilham Azizov
Operating With Uxo Containing White Phosphorus, Ilham Azizov
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article provides a brief account of the unexploded ordnance problem in Azerbaijan and describes the particular hazards of dealing with UXO containing white phosphorus. Drawing from the experience of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action's work at Saloglu, guidelines for handling WP UXO are discussed.
Clearing The Way In Chad: Assessment, Access And Impact, Katharine Hopper
Clearing The Way In Chad: Assessment, Access And Impact, Katharine Hopper
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Mines Advisory Group began working in Chad in late 2004 with the objective of demining the water points in several of the war-torn provinces in the northern portion of the country. MAG formulated a three-phase plan that was extremely well-executed, even while dealing with the harsh desert climate, achieving its objectives before the deadline and under budget. A total of 21 watering points and 28 paths to access the watering points were cleared, while 84 areas were identified as dangerous. The work had a particularly positive effect on the local nomadic populations, who make a living traveling, often through …
Lessons Learned From Field Tests In Croatia And Cambodia, Paulo Debenest, Marc Freese, Edwardo Fukushima, Toshiaki Matsuzawa, Shigeo Hirose
Lessons Learned From Field Tests In Croatia And Cambodia, Paulo Debenest, Marc Freese, Edwardo Fukushima, Toshiaki Matsuzawa, Shigeo Hirose
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article describes the development and the experiments performed with Gryphon, a new platform for tele-operated landmine detection. With Gryphon, the authors aim at reducing the gap between research and application by introducing partial autonomy in mine-detection operations with a robust platform. Tests have been performed in Croatia and Cambodia.
Iraq Facing The Legacy Of Landmines And Explosive Remnants Of War, Salomon Schreuder
Iraq Facing The Legacy Of Landmines And Explosive Remnants Of War, Salomon Schreuder
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In this article the author describes the recent history and current state of mine-action efforts in Iraq. The author argues for a larger focus on these issues and for a comprehensive approach, linking other humanitarian efforts with mine action.
Landmines/Explosive Remnants Of War And The War On Terrorism In The Middle East And North Africa (Mena), Ayman Sorour
Landmines/Explosive Remnants Of War And The War On Terrorism In The Middle East And North Africa (Mena), Ayman Sorour
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article looks at the relationship between the existing landmine and explosive remnants of war problem in the Middle East and North Africa, and terrorist activities in the area by explaining the scope of the mine/ERW problem in the region; the huge availability of explosives for use in illegal activities, particularly terrorism; and the case of Algeria and Egypt being affected by recent terrorist acts.
Survey And Ordnance Disposal In The Polisario-Controlled Areas Of The Western Sahara, Zlatko Gegic, Artyom Harutyunyan
Survey And Ordnance Disposal In The Polisario-Controlled Areas Of The Western Sahara, Zlatko Gegic, Artyom Harutyunyan
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Due to a 15-year war, Western Sahara has a number of unmarked territories full of explosive remnants of war. Landmine Action, a nongovernmental organisation from the United Kingdom, has taken several measures to improve the situation in Western Sahara. In addition to surveying, marking and reporting, one of LMA's chief intentions is to train members of the local population in an explosive-ordnance-disposal programme.
Mine-Clearance Activities And Ansa Participation: An Analysis, Sadi Caysi
Mine-Clearance Activities And Ansa Participation: An Analysis, Sadi Caysi
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Effective mine action requires numerous actors to peacefully collaborate: governmental and nongovernmental, international and local. Armed non-state actors (ANSA) that operate beyond central control, such as rebel opposition groups and paramilitary organizations, and private defense companies can often provide necessary contributions to mine action. Understanding ANSAs allows humanitarian organizations to communicate, cooperate and avoid conflict.
The Va Information System In Bih, Zoran Grujic
The Va Information System In Bih, Zoran Grujic
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Because of the conflict there in the 1990s, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been plagued by landmines, unexploded ordnance, explosive remnants of war and all of the problems associated with them. With so many victims, the need for an organized system to help these people was imperative. In this article, the author describes how the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center and other organisations helped establish an information system in BiH to help inform landmine victims about what they can do to help themselves and their families.
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 programmes and operators, creates and disseminates knowledge, works to improve quality management and standards and provides support to instruments of international law.
Islamic Republic Of Iran, Country Profile
Islamic Republic Of Iran, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The area of the world once home to the Persian Empire has seen its fair share of social and political turbulence. In 1979, the western-supported ruler Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown during the Iranian Revolution, and a conservative Islamic cleric named Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came to power and formed an Islamic republic. This system of government still remains even after Khomeini's passing in 1989, with Ali Khamenei succeeding him as supreme leader of the country.
Tajikistan, Country Profile
Tajikistan, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Nearly a decade after a civil war ravaged the Republic of Tajikistan, the country is still suffering the effects of contamination from landmines and explosive remnants of war. Although the country has never produced or exported anti-personnel mines, Soviet and Uzbek forces emplaced them along most of its borders. Tajikistan is also the only State Party to the Ottawa Convention to declare APMs stockpiled in its territory by a non-State Party; Russian Ministry of Defense units deployed in Tajikistan control approximately 18,200 mines. All of these issues contribute to a crippling mine problem for one of the poorest countries in …
Kurdish Landmine Plight Across And Along The Borders, Armin Köhli
Kurdish Landmine Plight Across And Along The Borders, Armin Köhli
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article discusses the intricate global and internal conflicts that plague the Kurdish region with emphasis on the profound impact these conflicts have on mine action in this area of the Middle East.