A severe problem that Cambodia faces is the
magnitude of landmines littered across provinces throughout the country. This
is the legacy of three decades of savage war that raged in Cambodia. All sides
used landmines, manufactured in China, Russia, Vietnam and the United States.
Pol Pot, whose regime was responsible for the deaths of approximately 1.7
million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979, purportedly called land mines his
“perfect soldiers.”
Recent estimates show that there may be as many as
four to six million mines and unexploded devices left undetected in Cambodia
although some estimates run as high as 10 million. In the first nine months of
2012, 144 landmine casualties were recorded, according to a report by the
Cambodian Mine and Explosive Remnants of War Victim Information System. Young
children account for approximately half of all landmine victims.
Across the developing world, there are millions of
people with disabilities who need physical rehabilitation services to enable
them to go to school, find work and participate in society. However, in many
low income countries there is a severe shortage of staff with the skills and
experience to provide the rehabilitation services required. Whilst I have been
living in Cambodia, I have met a number of landmine survivors who have been
keen to show me what has happened to them, and explain the difficulties they
face on a daily basis.
Last year The Cambodia Trust fitted over 600 limbs,
ensuring that individuals are empowered to impact their communities and provide
for their families. There are also many more organisations working hard to
eradicate this nationwide threat, often in very dangerous conditions, mapping
out the landscape, and systematically demining entire provinces. However, estimates
show that it may take between 10 and 20 years to eradicate the threat, requiring
large amounts of money to do so. Many of these organisations now believe the
best hope for the future lies in changing government policy, to an outright ban
on production, with the hope of creating a
world free of uxo's, anti personnell minesand cluster munitions, enabling
survivors to lead fulfilling lives, and see their rights respected.
