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New report on Cluster Munitions, May 2007 |
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You are here: Ban Cluster Bombs > New report on Cluster Munitions, May 2007 Hundreds of Millions will be Affected by 440 Million Cluster Munitions for Decades to Come
The vast majority of cluster bomb casualties occur while victims are carrying out their daily livelihood activities, according to Circle of Impact: The Fatal Footprint of Cluster Munitions on People and Communities. This groundbreaking report being launched today by Handicap International documents the lasting economic and social harm these weapons bring upon communities, adversely impacting families for decades to come.
It is clear from the report findings that the 440 million cluster bombs used turn the homes and crucial social areas of the people living in affected countries into de facto minefields. As men and boys are the traditional earners and the majority of casualties, the economic loss for both the short term and the distant future cannot be underestimated. Fatal Footprint: The Global Human Impact of Cluster Munitions, a preliminary report released in November 2006, found that 98% of recorded cluster bomb casualties are civilians. The final version of this report not only confirms this startling fact, but also shows that these casualties occur while people carry out their daily livelihood activities in familiar places. Cluster bombs, weapons that release several hundred smaller ‘bomblets’ when fired, pose an unacceptable danger to civilians both during and long after a conflict. These ‘bomblets’ often fail to explode as they are spread over an area at least the size of several football pitches, creating a highly lethal footprint. In March 2007 the UK banned ‘dumb’ cluster bombs, while retaining the right to use the M85 model. Access the full report Downloads (documents will open in a new window)
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