Emergency and Disaster Management Commons^™

A War Far From Over: Iraq’S Landmine Struggle, Nicole Kreger

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With the end of major hostilities, there comes an urgent need for UXO/ mine clearance teams to start tackling their arduous task. A number of countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have begun to take on this responsibility, hoping to eliminate fear and restore a sense of security to the newly freed Iraqi people.

Mine Problem In The Region Of Southeastern Europe: The Itf And Seemacc, Damir Gorseta, Eva Veeble, Sabina Beber

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

SE Europe is one of the most mine-affected regions in the world. This article examines the extent of the mine and UXO problem in each of the mine-affected countries in SE Europe, as well as discusses the steps being taken by various organizations in order to solve the mine-related problems in the region.

Tmac: Conquering Thailand’S Unique Mine Problem, Nicole Kreger

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC) faces a number of challenges in coping with the country’s landmine situation, but the organization is making progress, one step at a time. For more insight into TMAC’s operations, Mr. Dave McCracken, Chief Technical Adviser of TMAC, recently shared some of his views on demining, including the successes and challenges, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and what lies ahead.

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.

Breaking New Ground: Assisting Farmers With Disabilities Through The Application Of Assistive Technology, William Field

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With regards to agriculture in much of eastern Europe and northern Africa, the significant problem that landmine detonations present to farmers often goes unnoticed. This problem causes careers in agriculture to be labeled as the most hazardous occupations around the world. However, little attention has been given to rehabilitation practices and assistive technology to help those who have been disabled in this line of work. The Breaking New Ground Resource Center at Purdue University is attempting to resolve the problem at hand by providing technical assistance to those who have been impacted by physical disabilities, in hopes that others may …

Socketless Option For Prosthetic Care, Ruth Clark

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Dr. Chaz Holder developed Socketless Technology for prosthetics, a revolutionary approach to prosthetic care. In this article, his colleague describes this technology and its many applications.

Psychological And Physical Trauma: Treating The Whole Person, Patricia Blakeney, Daniel Creson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Survivors of physically disfiguring trauma, regardless of the cause, have experienced a series of assaults on the mind as well as on the body that present extraordinary challenges to human resilience. For the past 17 years, one of the authors (Dr. Blakeney) has worked closely with children and adults who have been severely burned. For burned individuals, the trauma of injury inevitably results in disfigurement, sometimes scars that can be easily hidden but more often scars that are noticeable. In fact, 20 years ago, it was generally accepted in the United States that persons with massive burns could not survive; …

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.

Ethiopia, Meet Eritrea: An Overview Of The Landmine Situation In Ethiopia And Eritrea As A Result Of The Border Conflict, Susanna Sprinkel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Sparked by a controversy over Eritrean seaports, Ethiopia and Eritrea were drawn into a three-year border war that took numerous lives and permanently injured an already struggling economy. Now that the fighting has ceased and negotiations are being conducted, United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations are working to piece the two broken nations back together and eliminate the landmine threat.

The Mine Action Information Center And The State Department’S Humanitarian Demining Fellowship: Molding The Future Of The Landmine Community, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

James Madison University (JMU) is host to the State Department’s Mine Action Information Center (MAIC). The MAIC has given many students the opportunity, whether through local employment or the State Department’s Humanitarian Demining Fellowship, to learn and experience mine action. Today, many of JMU’s former students are players in the global landmine community.

Moving Forward: Recommendations For A Landmine Victim Data Collection And Management System The Landmine Casualty Database Workshop At James Madison University (Jmu), May 13–14, 2002, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After discussing ways to develop a systematic and accurate system for the collection of victim data on a global basis, participants developed three sets of recommendations that were presented to the global community.

The Workshop On Assistance To Landmine Survivors And Victims In Southeastern Europe: Defining Strategies For Success, Ig, Slovenia, July 1-2, 2002, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Participants from throughout southeastern Europe and around the world gathered in Ig, Slovenia, just outside the capital city of Ljubljana, to discuss and provide suggestions for improving mine victim assistance in the Balkans.

Update: The Landmine Situation In Chechnya, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Stemming from the ongoing war between Russian and Chechen forces, the use of anti-personnel mines throughout Chechnya continues today. As the landmine victim toll increases, much is being done in an attempt to alleviate the current state of affairs.

The Landmine Menace: The Great Humanitarian Challenge, Thomas Himmler

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On the basis of the conflict scenarios and the resultant threat, it is necessary to develop methods and means to eliminate the threat. Simply using available tools is not always easy. What is necessary is to optimally combine existing detection and clearance methods and, if necessary, to develop new, promising technologies in a targeted manner.

Ethiopia And Eritrea, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Conflicts existed between Ethiopia and Eritrea from 1935 until 1993, when Eritrea became an independent nation. In 1997, a trade war developed between the two nations, causing further disputes. Hostilities ceased in 2000, and the governments are now working to institute a clear borderline between the two countries. Meanwhile, mine action programs are being established to clear the large number of AT mines, AP mines and UXO that remain scattered along the border and throughout Ethiopia and Eritrea as a result of these and other conflicts.

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 …

Israeli Landmine Policy And Related Regional Activity, Ahron Etengoff, Gerald Steinberg

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Although the dangers posed by landmines are particularly acute in the Middle East, responses to the Ottawa Convention are limited. Jordan, Sudan, Tunisia and Qatar are State Parties, and Algeria has signed but not ratified the Ottawa Convention. The lack of signatories in the region reflects the continuing conflict and instability as well as the role that mines play in territorial defense.

In Israel, there is significant support for both the concept and effort to abolish landmines, but security considerations and continued warfare outweigh arguments in favor of accession to the Convention. Israel is active in international cooperative programs to …

On The Cutting Edge Of Landmine Technology, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The tools and technology of the demining world are constantly developing and improving. This article briefly describes several new instruments and techniques currently being developed that will hopefully aid in future demining activity.

The Inter-American Defense Board, An Interview With Colonel Rowcliffe, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Colonel Rowcliffe discusses the efforts of the IADB, MARMINCA, OAS and PADCA in coordinating demining efforts in Central America.

Colombia: 35 Years And Still Struggling, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The civil wars in Colombia have caused the deaths and disappearances of many innocent victims. Guerillas, insurgent groups and paramilitaries are all fighting to find peace, yet peace seems far away.

Quantum Magnetics Targets Landmine Explosives Using Quadrupole Resonance, Caroleen L. Williams, Peter Czipott, Lowell Burnett

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

San Diego-based Quantum Magnetics did not intend to develop the world’s best landmine detection technology, but it just might turn out that way. For the past five years, the company has been working to develop landmine detection technology that would be so specific and effective that it would minimize false alarms, thus saving lives and limbs of U.S. soldiers, citizens and landmine sweepers alike. Although Quantum Magnetics is also developing other security-related technologies for applications such as bomb, drug and concealed-weapon detection, it has continued to keep its core objective on course, and its scientists continue to concentrate on solving …

Training The Trainers In Community-Based Rehabilitation, John Paterson, William Boyce

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Queen’s University and the Pan-American Health Organization are collaborating on a project called Community-Based Rehabilitation, designed to aid survivors. The project assists victims with their physical, emotional and financial problems to help them reenter and remain active in their communities.

Photographing Tragedy: Landmines And Victims, Tim Grant

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Tim Grant recounts his experiences capturing the images of landmines and the stories of their victims on film. From buckets of AP mines to victims on the operating table, Grant sees and tells all about the images that have shaped him.

The International Committee Of The Red Cross Mine/Uxo Awareness Programs, Laurence Desvignes

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Many current mine awareness strategies continue to use a “presentation approach,” in which the community remains passive and simply receives information. For organizations using such an approach, mine awareness amounts to a simple public information campaign isolated from other kinds of mine action and humanitarian activities. With the aim of addressing the threat of mines and UXO more effectively, the ICRC has adopted another approach. First, the ICRC gathers relevant information on local needs, which can be used to devise an appropriate mine/UXO awareness strategy. Next, the ICRC involves mine-contaminated communities in the mine awareness process. The ICRC also cooperates …

The Landmine Impact Survey Process, Richard Kidd

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On August 22, the United Nations certified the process and the results of the Landmine Impact Survey conducted in Yemen. This survey is the first of its kind to be performed in accordance with international standards and marks a revolutionary event in the field of humanitarian mine action. The enhanced quality of information gained through the impact survey will change the way that resources are allocated and operational plans developed. Sophisticated analysis can now take place in support of decision-makers at all levels and progress measured in terms of real value to affected populations.

Implementing Landmine Awareness Programs, Eric Filippino

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Among the wider mine action community, recognition is steadily growing of the need to incorporate socio-economic data and analysis into the planning, prioritization and evaluation of mine action. Shifting the focus away from the achievement of straightforward targets of land cleared or numbers of mines removed onto improving the lives of communities threatened by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) represents a major change in mine action thinking. Mine awareness, which also seeks to integrate socio-economic analysis into its work can play an important role in rounding out this concept.

Making Strides: Students Tackle The Landmine Awareness Problem, Virginia Saulnier

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Extending beyond the normal boundaries of education, a growing number of educators are widening their students’ knowledge base to include the landmine crisis plaguing multiple countries, thereby raising the global consciousness of this humanitarian problem. Commendably, students around the world are assuming an active role in the crisis, aware of the potential damage waiting to strike at the heart of their generation, as landmines and UXO annually claim numerous children as victims. Teachers, employing accepted pedagogical techniques, are educating their students about the devastation inflicted by mines and UXO by introducing them to landmine oriented magazines and literature. Teacher Mark …

The Effectiveness Of Different Personal Protective Ensembles In Preventing Injury To The Thorax From Blast-Type Anti-Personnel Mines, J. Nerenberg, Aris Makris, H. Kleine

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

It is well established from numerous documented cases of bomb blasts that, under certain conditions (determined by the amount and proximity of explosive), the transmitted shock wave and associated overpressure generated by the detonation of an explosive device can cause critical and fatal injuries to the thorax, e.g., “blast lung.” As such injuries tend to be internal and thus difficult to detect, there has been considerable debate in recent years on the significance of the blast overpressure injury in the context of demining/mine clearance compared to more visible injuries, such as, amputation of extremities, fragmentation wounds and blindness. A wide …

Intersos, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

INTERSOS is an Italian based organization founded in 1992, by a group of individuals who had already dedicated years of aid and understanding to victims in developing countries. INTERSOS is a non-profit, independent organization that works to support public and private institutions that share its perspective in aiding the victims of humanitarian tragedies across the world.

Deminers, Manual Demining And Their Protective Equipment, Norman Stewart

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Cambodia, a deminer was working in the prone position and set off an anti-personnel type 72 Chinese tilt mine. The resulting blast went over his head and did not damage his exposed hands. The blast over-pressure sucked air and dirt into his helmet visor and punctured his eye, which recovered fully. This over-pressure problem was caused by an air gap between the helmet visor and his protective jacket. Within seven days a new visor was dispatched from the manufacturer to my specifications, tested and found to remove the air gap problem. As part of the daily safety checks carried …