CAMBODIA

Explosive ordnance disposal and risk education| Project duration: since 2017

From the 1960s until 1998, various groups fought bloody battles for dominance in Cambodia. Since 1979, around 64,000 people have been injured or killed in mine accidents; more than 25,000 had to be amputated, the highest per capita rate in the world. Most of the accidents were not caused by mines, but by unexploded ordnance, mostly triggered by agricultural activities (ploughing, etc.) or by smallholder families looking for wood.

The project

WWM has cooperated with Cambodian Self Help Demining (CSHD), a national NGO founded at the initiative of former child soldier, Aki Ra, since 2017. We participate in raising risk awareness and financing demining teams.

A team member from CSHD prepares to blow up explosive remnants
A team member from CSHD prepares to blow up explosive remnants of war
Our education team goes from village to village to inform those who have very limited access to information about how to deal with mines.
Often villagers or children find mines or remnants of war in densely overgrown terrain, hidden in trees or even during preparing their fields.
If villagers find ordnance residue, they call the CSHD team, who will then safely remove the dangerous weapon as soon as possible.

What we achieved

WWM is convinced that the work of Aki Ra and all the other deminers at CSHD represent a significant contribution to Cambodia's economic development. Soil is the basis of existence in many rural regions. Producing more than enough to cover one's own needs is a first step into a better future.

Results 2021

757 EOD missions were carried out, removing 4,788 anti-personnel mines, 4 improvised mines (IED), 10 anti-tank mines, 1,351 UXO and 206 other explosive remnants of war.

18,310 square meters of land have been cleared and are now safe to use again.

12,945 people benefited from the EOD missions and 857 people were sensitized about the problem or landmines and ERW.

Pictures: CSHD

 

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