Must This Happen To Your Child Before You Condemn It?

If this boy had been injured by someone or by any other means there would be some sort of investigation. But because he was injured by a landmine there was no investigation and no-one will be brought to justice.

Young adult males make up the majority of people killed or injured by landmines. In Cambodia, 87% of surviving landmine victims are males over 15 years old, with a mean age of 28 years. In Afghanistan, 73% are males between ages 16 to 50, and 20% of the victims are male children.

However, the age and sex distribution of mine victims who did not survive, is not clear from the studies reviewed because this information is rarely gathered in the field.    

The ratio of death to injury is considerably greater in children, perhaps because their vital organs are closer to the blast and comparatively less protected, and their bodies are less able to withstand blood loss.


Those at highest risk of the indirect health consequences of landmines (i.e., waterborne diseases, malnutrition, childhood infections, etc) are again mostly the disadvantaged poor, especially children.



    The initial blast tears the foot apart, causing the foot and toes to peel away from the leg.

    The action of the blast forces dirt, mine fragments, bone and tissue to be driven deep up into what is remaining of the leg, the genitalia and torso.

    The outer leg skin returns into place and hides the full extent of the damage.

By Samod Biobaku
simplysamad@yahoo.com