SHOCKFACTS: Land mines

• More than 110 million active mines are scattered in 70 countries and an equal number are stockpiled waiting to be planted.

• Every month more than 2000 people are killed or maimed by mine explosions — mostly civilians, after hostilities have ended.

• At the current rate it could take more than 1100 years to clear all mines, if no additional mines are planted.

• It would cost approximately US$33 billion to remove all active mines.

• For every mine cleared, 20 are laid.

• Buried land mines can remain active for over 50 years.

• Surgical care and the fitting of an orthopaedic appliance costs about $3000 per amputee in developing countries.

• There are 250,000 amputees registered worldwide by the United Nations.

• In addition to inflicting physical and psychological damage on civilians, land mines disrupt social services, threaten food security by preventing thousands of hectares of productive land from being farmed, and hinder the return and resettlement of refugees and displaced persons.

[Source: <http://www.un.org/Depts/dha/mct/facts.htm>. Got a shockfact? Email <glw@greenleft.org.au>.]

From Green Left Weekly, March 16, 2005.

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From GLW issue 619