Land Mine victims in Somaliland

[juzme123]

Rising number of child landmine victims in Somaliland

HARGEISA, 2 February 2011 (IRIN) - Self-declared independent region of Somaliland has experienced an increase in landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) explosions in the recent past, with officials calling for mine awareness education in schools, as children have been the main victims.

"Child victims of land mines have increased in Somaliland in the past two months," Ahmed Ali Maah, director of the Somaliland Mine Action Center (SMAC), told IRIN. "Some 93 children have been killed by landmines in the past three years."

Farhan Abdi Saleban, a child protection officer with Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Somaliland (CCBRS), a local NGO, said three children died and five were injured by landmines in January; and two others were injured in December 2010.

"Case fatalities and injuries associated with mine and UXO explosions have lately increased in the country," Saleban said. "A high proportion of the victims are children, according to comparative data/information recorded for the past two months."

Saleban said strategic interventions, including effective continuing mine-risk education and psychological rehabilitation of landmine survivors, were needed.

The latest incident occurred on 27 January in Sheedaha settlement in Hargeisa’s Kodbur District: One child died and two others were injured when a landmine exploded in a playground.

"My son had gone to play football in the evening, as usual. Suddenly I received a phone call telling me my son had been injured following an explosion," said Ibrahim Ahmed, a father of five, whose son Farhan Ibrahim was injured in the chest.

No minefield records

According to SMAC, landmines were laid in Somaliland over two decades, and during three different conflicts. The first conflict (1964) and the second (1977-78) were between the Somali Democratic Republic and Ethiopia over what is now Ethiopia's Somali Region. The third conflict (1981-91) was when the Somali National Movement waged an armed struggle against the Somali National Army of the then Somali president, Mohamed Siyad Barre.

According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), 400,000-800,000 landmines were laid in Somaliland between 1988 and 1991 alone.

At least 24 types of anti-personnel mines from 10 different countries have been identified in Somaliland. At least half of the landmines laid in Somaliland are plastic.

However, no minefield records were kept, contributing to the problem as exact locations remain unknown.

One of five children injured in an explosion on 20 January had been herding livestock when the explosion occurred.

"I was with my daughter; we were looking after the sheep when a huge explosion erupted where my daughter was. I ran to her but I was too late. Her legs and her hand were cut off and she was bleeding profusely," Saida Mohamed, a mother of seven from south-central Somalia, said.

Civil society organizations and the national demining agency have called for awareness-raising mine education programmes, especially in schools. SMAC mine education officer Hibaq Mujahid Abdikadir Kosar told IRIN mine education programmes should be included in the national curriculum.

See also: IRIN's In-depth: The landmine hangover

[juzme123]

In-depth: The landmine hangover

ABUDA, 2 February 2010 (IRIN) - Mohamed Olhaye Nour, 60, last cultivated his farm in Abuda, 24km southwest of Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, more than two decades ago.

"Before the war, our life was good; we did not worry about making ends meet," he said. "In an average year, our crop production was about 40-50 `jawan’ (one `jawan’ = 100kg sack of maize and sorghum mixed together).

"We kept 15-20 `jawan’ in reserve. We used the remainder in different ways, such as for bread, 'African cake' [maize meal] eaten with milk, or sorghum with milk."

Nour, who has two wives and 17 children, stopped cultivating his land because it "is full of mines". Two people who ventured onto the land got injured - one losing both arms. Nour has also lost 36 livestock to the mines.

Most of the unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Abuda was planted during the 1977-78 war between Somalia and Ethiopia, according to local residents. Some is from the 1981-91 war between the Somali National Movement and the Somali National Army.

According to Nour, many residents of Abuda were agro-pastoralists before these wars. Most fled to Ethiopia when clashes first broke out. When they returned in 1991, they found their farmland had been mined. Now they mostly survive as livestock keepers.

An anti-tank mine: Experts say more than 250,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance, including anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, are buried in Somaliland (file photo)
Experts in the self-declared republic say more than 250,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance, including anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, are buried in Somaliland.

UXO is scattered across northwestern Somalia, from Elayo to Loyada and from Bihen to Gestir.

Demining

Over the years, farmers wrote many letters to the Somaliland government requesting that the Abuda area be demined, Nour said. In 2009, the UK-based organization HALO Trust started demining farmland in this area.

Hargeisa, according to HALO, was heavily mined around military bases, refugee camps, private houses and the airport. The war between Ethiopia and Somalia also left behind large amounts of unexploded ordnance.

Some explosives have, unfortunately, been harvested from mines for illegal reuse. This is particularly the case with anti-vehicle mines and explosive ordnance. Another problem is that most mines in Somaliland are plastic-bodied, making them difficult to locate using conventional demining equipment, according to HALO.

"We started demining operations in this area [Abuda] in early November 2009 after we received complaints from residents," said Hassan Kosar, operations officer for HALO in Hargeisa. "We hope to finish in early May 2010, if we have adequate manpower capacity."


Two other mine clearance institutions now exist in Somaliland - the Mine Action Center and the National Demining Agency.

HALO is currently supporting the National Demining Agency to expand mine-clearing operations, because the Somaliland government's budget for demining institutions is limited.

"This is the first time a local institution is going to engage in mine clearance operations in Somaliland after HALO Trust trains 40 deminers for us," said Mohamed Were, operations officer for the Somaliland National Demining Agency. "[But] our problem is lack of funds."

At least eight hectares owned by 95 families in the Abuda area were mined, as well as several hectares further to the north.

"I have not cultivated my farm since 1988 but now that demining is going on, I hope the clearing of our farms will be completed before the rains come," Nour told IRIN

[juzme123]

An anti-tank mine: Experts say more than 250,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance, including anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, are buried in Somaliland (file photo)

[juzme123]

Hargeisa:Youth Killed in Land Mine Explosion

Comments (4)

HARGEISA(SomalilandPress)–On 27th January 2011 a groud of children were playing football behind Mansoor Hotel in Hargeisa at afternoon time. One of the children tried to take the ball which went out the play – ground and found a device like UXO who showed the rest of his group. A boy forcedly took the device from his team mate and threw it to a wall nearby. The device detonated which caused the death of one child aged 16 years and similarly injured other two more boys also both aged 17 years. The dead was buried while those wounded are taken care at their homes by their families and the reason is that the injuries were minor.

CCBRS community counselors since then begun to provide necessary counseling and support to the injured survivors and their family members including the family of the dead victim in reducing severe psychological impact and will continue until good recovery is achieved.

If further assistance is obtained by other collaborator, mine – risk education initiative will be commenced by targeting the children and youth who are among the most risk groups. Schoolchildren, school management & teachers, parents will also be educated whose level of awareness and knowledge on prevention of mine and UXO and the related hazards will be promoted focusing to address age – specific risk behaviors.

The case fatalities and injuries associated with mine and UXO explosions has increased in these days in the country while the high proportion or the majority of the victims are children than adults comparing the data/information recorded for the past two months as this therefore necessitates to embark useful strategic interventions including effective continuing mine – risk education, victim assistance like physical & psychological rehabilitation, ensuring successful social re – integration of victims (school enrolment) and further assessment of the suspected areas for contamination.

Reported by: Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Somaliland (CCBRS)

Farhan Abdi Suleiman (Oday)

Social Worker at Comprehensive CBR in Somaliland

Email: oday1999@yahoo.com

[Ismail_Boss]

may allah grand those kids to janaah

fuckin faqash its all there fult