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Full-Text Articles in Emergency and Disaster Management
Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis
Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article contains excerpts from the United Nations’ third quarterly newsletter, which highlights the activities of the Mine Action Support Group from July to September 2006, including updates from the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF.
Closing The Circle, Eddie Banks, Rob Shahmir
Closing The Circle, Eddie Banks, Rob Shahmir
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The authors present a critique of the International Mine Action Standards currently in use. After highlighting gaps in IMAS related to assessment and survey, an improved aspect of mine-action planning methodology is presented, which includes a prioritization component using a socioeconomic approach. The result is LIRA: landmine impact combined with a new measurement of risk assessment. This updated model can contribute to improved safety, quality and productivity of landmine action through more effective strategic planning tools.
Afghanistan, Country Profile
Afghanistan, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Afghanistan's landmine contamination began with the Soviet occupation from 1979 to 1989. Pro-Soviet Afghan-government forces continued contributing to this landmine, unexploded ordnance and other explosive remnants of war contamination during the next three years. Factional fighting from 1992 to 1995, resistance to the Taliban from 1996 to 2001 and the 2001 US-led invasion added to the problem. Not only does this contamination injure or kill more than 100 Afghans a month, it also impacts the reconstruction and development of the country into an economically and politically stable nation.
Lao Pdr, Country Profile
Lao Pdr, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
From 1964 to 1973, the Lao People's Democratic Republic became involved in the Second Indochina War (known as the Vietnam War in the West) between the United States and North Vietnam. For those nine years, Lao PDR was subjected to the heaviest bombing in world history. U.S. bombing records indicate that there were over 580,000 bombing missions carried out and over two million metric tons (2.2 million U.S. tons) of ordnance dropped on Lao PDR during the conflict.
The Human Face Of Eod, Howard M. Thompson
The Human Face Of Eod, Howard M. Thompson
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Being a specialist insurance broker to explosive-ordnance-disposal organisations around the world has provided Howard Thompson with the opportunity to be on the sidelines of the humanitarian-demining community. But during a 10-day visit to Cambodia, he was able to experience first-hand the significance of humanitarian demining and clearance. He writes about this experience here.
Effects Of Landmines On Sri Lanka, K.T. Manjula Udayanga Hemapala
Effects Of Landmines On Sri Lanka, K.T. Manjula Udayanga Hemapala
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In Sri Lanka, statistics show people between the ages of 20 and 45 are the most likely to be injured by landmines. When they are disabled, they become a burden to the country’s economy, requiring assistance instead of contributing to the country’s growth. This article discusses how landmines affect Sri Lanka and the efforts being undertaken to lessen their impact.
Visor Scratch Repair And Prevention, Andrew Heafitz, Benjamin Linder, Marta Luczynska, Mark Scott
Visor Scratch Repair And Prevention, Andrew Heafitz, Benjamin Linder, Marta Luczynska, Mark Scott
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Severe eye injuries occur in 30 percent of demining accidents. Visors are known to be effective personal protective equipment when worn properly, but deminers often lift or remove their visors because scratches, glare or fog make them hard to see through, or because they are hot, heavy and uncomfortable to wear. Addressing each of these specific design problems could increase visor use and prevent a significant number of debilitating injuries. This paper presents methods for preventing and eliminating scratches on demining visors.
Cluster Munitions And Erw In Lebanon, Daniele Ressler, Elizabeth Wise
Cluster Munitions And Erw In Lebanon, Daniele Ressler, Elizabeth Wise
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The recent 34-day conflict between the Lebanese armed faction Hezbollah and Israel from July 12 to August 14, 2006, saw extensive use of surface-launched munitions and air-dropped munitions (to a lesser degree), resulting in wartime casualties for military and civilian actors in both Lebanon and Israel. Since the ceasefire agreement, international post-conflict attention has become focused on Lebanon due to the large number of explosive remnants of war left behind after the conflict. In particular, cluster munitions are proving problematic for post-conflict reconstruction activities in Lebanon due to their apparent high failure rate and the potential threat they pose to …
Successful Implementation Of Protocol V, Kerry Brinkert
Successful Implementation Of Protocol V, Kerry Brinkert
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Protocol V of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons recently entered into force, and the author hopes lessons learned from the operations of the Ottawa Convention can be applied to this Protocol.
Iraq, Country Profile
Iraq, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Decades of internal conflict, a history overtaken with war and a delicate new government put Iraq in the midst of an explosive-remnants-of-war situation that is worsening as the security situation continues to deteriorate. The country's unstable nature poses a challenge for organizations that wish to provide much needed humanitarian assistance. Conflicts between ethnic and political parties, the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the more recent U.S.-led invasion in 2003 left the country's 169,234 square miles (438,314 square meters) riddled with landmines, unexploded ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance.
Mine Victims Needs Assessment And Assistance Coordination, Aziz Aliyev, Rauf Mamedov, Umud Mirzoyev, Siyab Mamedov
Mine Victims Needs Assessment And Assistance Coordination, Aziz Aliyev, Rauf Mamedov, Umud Mirzoyev, Siyab Mamedov
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
A UNICEF feasibility study conducted in early 2001 showed that medical and surgical facilities in Azerbaijan are adequate to meet the immediate needs of mine survivors. In general, physical rehabilitation facilities are also considered suitable; however, the lack of psycho-social support to assist mine survivors with a disability is of particular concern. The study concluded that an integrated and comprehensive assistance program could not be established for the mine victims of Azerbaijan until a needs assessment was completed. In response, Azerbaijan planned and conducted a national survey to assess mine victims’ needs, including prosthetic, social and economic needs, as a …
Book Review: Angola—The Hope Of A People, Cisr Journal
Book Review: Angola—The Hope Of A People, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Brazilian photographers Vinicius Souza and Maria Eugênia Sá provide a glimpse of hope through their camera lenses in Angola—The Hope of a People. After many years of tumultuous civil war, these 48 powerful black-and-white and color images capture both the “new face of Angola” and the hope of the people to create a new identity.
News Briefs, News Brief
Unsung Hero: Elnur Gasimov, Cisr Journal
Unsung Hero: Elnur Gasimov, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
As a young man in a war-torn area of Azerbaijan, Elnur Gasimov experienced the shock of being severely injured by a piece of unexploded ordnance. Today, Gasimov’s personal experience has inspired him to work as the Team Leader of the Training and Quality Assurance Team at the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action to ensure what happened to him will not happen to other citizens of his country. Gasimov’s resilience and dedication to his work make him a hero in the demining community.
Explosive Harvesting Program, Roger Hess
Explosive Harvesting Program, Roger Hess
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Explosive Harvesting Program is a research and development program funded by the U.S. Department of Defense Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate Humanitarian Demining Research and Development Program. The concept was designed by Golden West Humanitarian Foundation and is being jointly developed with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre.
Kosovo, Country Profile
Kosovo, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
From 1998 to 1999, an internal struggle known as the Kosovo Conflict caused Kosovo, a U.N.-administered province of Serbia, to become littered with mines and unexploded ordnance, including cluster-bomb units. Since the conflict ended, mines and UXO have claimed hundreds of victims in Kosovo. Today, very little of the original contamination remains thanks to the success of Kosovo's excellent mine-action program.
A Change Of Heart, Dahib Mohamed Odwaa
A Change Of Heart, Dahib Mohamed Odwaa
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Geedka Dheenta is a small village in Somaliland located 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of Hargeisa in a mountainous area on the road between Hargeisa and Berbera. With a population of approximately 390 inhabitants according to the Landmine Impact Survey conducted in 2003, its citizens usually go to Hargeisa (the capital of Somaliland) to sell their products. The villagers’ main income is from small irrigation farms surrounding the village where they raise fruits and vegetables such as pawpaw, oranges, greens, and tomatoes, as well as some livestock. During the civil war that broke out in Somalia in 1988, this farming …
Issue 10.2 Endnotes, Cisr Journal
Issue 10.2 Endnotes, Cisr Journal
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Issue 10.2 Endnotes
Industrial Ammunition Stockpile Recovery: Saving Energy And Resources And Protecting The Environment, Erik Lauritzen, Mogens Straarup, Inés García Sánchez
Industrial Ammunition Stockpile Recovery: Saving Energy And Resources And Protecting The Environment, Erik Lauritzen, Mogens Straarup, Inés García Sánchez
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article presents the opportunities for the disposal of ammunition in an economically and environmentally feasible way, focusing on post-conflict disposal of larger stocks of ammunition with a special view to the ongoing Ammunition Stockpile Destruction Programme in Afghanistan managed by the Afghanistan New Beginning Programme. The contents of the article are based on the experiences gathered under the umbrella of the research and development programmes Western European Armament Group European Cooperation for the Long-Term in Defence and European Union L’Instrument Financier pour L’Environnement (EU LIFE), together with a study carried out for NATO’s Maintenance and Supply Agency, followed by …
Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis
Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group from the first quarterly U.N. newsletter of 2006, including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF.
Somaliland, Country Profile
Somaliland, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination in Somaliland is the result of the 1964 and 1977–78 border wars with Ethiopia and the 1988 –91 civil war between the Siyad Barre regime and the Somali National Movement. The Barre regime troops laid most of the landmines, using mines to threaten the civilian population and protect military installations and civilian infrastructure against SNM attacks.
Picking The Right Tool For The Right Task: Mine Clearance With The Minewolf Machine In Sudan, Christoph Frehsee
Picking The Right Tool For The Right Task: Mine Clearance With The Minewolf Machine In Sudan, Christoph Frehsee
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In 2005, Norwegian People’s Aid used the mechanical mine-clearance machine MineWolf to aid in the demining process in Yei, South Sudan. The MineWolf system combines both the tiller and flail systems. The mine clearance team overcame several challenges to transport the 25-ton machine to South Sudan. Once there, the MineWolf was used to clear over 280,000 square meters (69 acres) of land, including a school complex, a planned housing complex and a teacher-training centre.
Uganda, Country Profile
Uganda, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Due to the insurgency of the Lord’s Resistance Army against the Ugandan government, landmines have been placed by various groups throughout the country for the past two decades. In the early 1980s both rebel groups and Ugandan government forces laid mines. Since then, there have been no allegations of government use inside Uganda, though the Lord’s Resistance Army continues to use anti-personnel mines. Though the landmine and unexploded ordnance problem is not as severe as in other parts of the continent, these remnants of war continue to injure or kill civilians as well as pose a problem for returning refugees …
Decade Of Service: The Maic Is 10!, Dennis Barlow
Decade Of Service: The Maic Is 10!, Dennis Barlow
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The James Madison University Mine Action Information Center is celebrating 10 years of service to the mine action community. Director Dennis Barlow looks back on 10 years of accomplishments.
Opening Roads To Angola’S Future, Daniela Kempf
Opening Roads To Angola’S Future, Daniela Kempf
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Angola’s Road Threat Reduction Project, funded by the Humpty Dumpty Institute, cleared heavily mined roads in the country’s Planalto region. The project made safe travel possible among the over 200 small communities and other bordering nations. With help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and HALO Trust, HDI opened several roads for the Angolan people, creating new possibilities for the developing government.
Ethiopia Part 2, Country Profile
Ethiopia Part 2, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Ethiopia’s 70-year history of internal and international armed conflict, from the Italian invasion of 1935 to the Ethiopian- Eritrean War (1998–2000), has contributed to significant landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination. Ethiopia is one of the world’s 10 most heavily mined countries, with the government estimating it will take decades to clear. The most extensive contamination is in the Tigray, Afar and Somali regions. It is estimated that during the recent Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict, Ethiopian forces laid 150,000–200,000 landmines and Eritrea laid 240,000 mines over the disputed border areas.
Ronco's Response To Explosive Remnants Of War In Post-Conflict Environments, Stacy L. Smith
Ronco's Response To Explosive Remnants Of War In Post-Conflict Environments, Stacy L. Smith
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
RONCO’s technical experts are dedicated to eliminating threats created by landmines and explosive remnants of war. Part of RONCO’s disposal process is creating local demining capacities in their host countries. As part of a quick response, RONCO has most recently added mine-action programs in Iraq and Afghanistan, creating a specialized explosive ordnance- disposal capacity in Afghanistan and establishing a bomb-disposal training school in Iraq.
Mines Awareness Trust In Eastern Africa, Nigel Howard
Mines Awareness Trust In Eastern Africa, Nigel Howard
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Mines Awareness Trust has been involved in many mine-action programmes that are aiding the mine-clearance process and improving the way of life for the people of eastern Africa. MAT has performed needs assessments in Uganda and has supervised the Ugandan Army. It has also developed a partnership with the International Mine Action Training Centre, which resulted in a state-of-the-art mine-detection dog training facility in Kenya. MAT’s collaboration with and assistance to eastern African organisations has put the area on the path to becoming mine safe.
Tajikistan Mine Action Programme, Jonmahmad Rajabov
Tajikistan Mine Action Programme, Jonmahmad Rajabov
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Tajikistan Mine Action Centre is responsible for all mine-action-related programs in the country. The author details Tajikistan’s landmine problems and provides a report on TMAC’s progress in various aspects of mine action as well as its goals for future mine-related operations.
Mauritania, Country Profile
Mauritania, Country Profile
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Mauritania is located in northwest Africa. Poverty defines this country, ranking 149th of 174 countries on the human development index, where 40 percent of the children are malnourished and 60 percent of adults in Mauritania are illiterate. Much of the citizens’ income and government’s revenue come from the cities of Tiris Zemmour and Dakhlet Nouadhibou, which coincide with the location of a majority of mines.