A cultural and political history princeton studies in muslim politics by thomas. Nine children killed in afghanistan landmine blast news. The cambodian mine action centre cmac estimates that there may be as many as four to six million mines and. Thirtyone percent reported mines preventing them from growing crops. This is in no way a comprehensive list of books or films about afghanistan, or even everything that i have read, but its a good start for anyone who wants to learn more. In somalia grazing land and water sources have been badly hit.
For many, it is the only steady employment they have known. Afghanistan has suffered greatly from war since 1978, and all sides to the various armed conflicts have used antipersonnel mines, particularly soviet forces and the afghan government from 1979 to 1992. An estimated 640,000 mines have been planted there in the past 40 years and theyve killed millions of civilians. Nine children were killed when a planted roadside bomb exploded as they walked to school in a northeastern province of afghanistan, government and police officials said the blast happened in. Its estimated that there are up to 10 million landmines in afghanistan, many of which are from a war with russia that ended more than 25 years ago but left a. Landmines can have profound medical, environmental, and economic consequences, particularly for the. Casualties surge from land mines and improvised explosives. Tajikistan complained that landmines planted along its border by uzbekistan have killed 68 people since 1999, including 20 children, reopening a point of contention between the countries, which. Its one of the most mined countries in the world, its estimated that up to 640,000 mines have been laid there since 1979. The most infamous mine used during the soviet unions occupation period was the socalled butterfly mine. This is the legacy of three decades of war which has taken a severe toll on the cambodians. Books set in afghanistan showing of 112 a thousand splendid suns by. Ban treaty in ottawa, canada by a number of nations, which has since grown to. As of 20, the only governments that still laid land mines were myanmar in its internal conflict, and syria in its civil war.
State department estimates landmineunexploded ordnancerelated casualties at over 2,400 during the year 2000 and that nearly 948 square kilometers of land had been landmineuxocontaminated. Landmines take growing toll in afghanistan conflict. Afghanistan, angola, cambodia, iraq, and laos were believed to be the nations worst affected by land mines. Introduction this case study explores the links between landmine contamination and postconflict land rights issues in afghanistan. Landmine victims in afghanistan increase as taliban plants. Natalia arango works with her mine detector in a zone of landmines planted by rebels groups near sonson in. Agencies the department of defense developed and produced 200 sets of mine boards, or mockups of common landmines. Another man, who was a fighter, says he planted many of the mines. These landmines are not just from the taliban and alqaeda fighting us and coalition forces. The cambodian mine action centre cmac estimates that there may be as many as four to.
The story begins when she was growing up in war torn afghanistan. Afghanistans mine action program the largest and certainly one of the best in the world is a rare success story in the country. In afghanistan, clearing landmines to save lives pbs. Landmines have been planted indiscriminately over most of the country. William dalrymple s top 10 books on afghanistan books. A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. The armed groups planted landmines around the buildings to protect. The hamid karzai presidency, nato takeover, and taliban resurgence. An estimated 640,000 mines have been planted there in the past 40. Afghanistan children devastated by landmines scattered across the. The republic of afghanistan 197378 civil war, communist phase 197892 civil war, mujahideentaliban phase 19922001 struggle for democracy. Cambodia is a country located in south east asia that has a major problem with landmines, especially in rural areas.
Landmines in afghanistan 5 containing both antipersonnel and antivehicle mines. Why the landmines file is a test of canadas global. Landmines take growing toll in afghanistan conflict arab news. List of books and articles about afghan history online. Landmines and their explosive history in afghanistan landmines are one of the most insidious threats to global health. After becoming independent of russia in the early 1990s, tajikistan went through several years of civil war in which both sides planted thousands of cold war surplus landmines. Halos programme in afghanistan is completely afghanled, with an ethnically diverse workforce of over 3,400 staff, recruited directly from towns and villages affected by landmines. Intended for ages 914, this work includes fullcolour photographs that show children the landscape, and lifestyles of the people of afghanistan. We had no knowledge and awareness about the land mines, said sakina habibi, a mother of three who has just returned to afghanistan after. The demining expert says that by the time peace finally came to afghanistan with the u. Hundreds of afghans, mostly children, are killed or injured each year. The 7 best books on afghanistan pratiek sparsh samantara surveys some of the best contemporary literary fiction and nonfiction to come out of afghanistan, from both afghan and international authors, and looks at how these books interpret the culture, society and history of this unsettled landscape. Without landmines agricultural production could more than double in both afghanistan and cambodia. In afghanistan and cambodia it was estimated that a third of the land was unusable due to buried mines.
Nonstate militants, it said, planted land mines in at least nine countries. Afghanistan is bordered by iran on the west, by pakistan on the east and south, and by turkmenistan, uzbekistan, and tajikistan on the north. In afghanistan, landmines continue to kill and maim many people. Landmines in war and peace and millions of other books are available for.
Unfortunately, one of the most lasting legacies of the conflicts continues to claim new victims daily. List of books and articles about landmines online research. Top 10 books on afghanistan best book recommendations. Its estimated that there are up to 10 million landmines in afghanistan, many of which are. The repatriation of refugees back to afghanistan is often contingent on landmines.
Uns mine action program for afghanistan reports that 751 antitank, 16,196 antipersonnel, and 251,169 unexploded ordnance devices have been cleared. Landmines pose an everpresent danger to civilians now attempting to flee the country or areas of. Afghanistan history, map, flag, capital, population. During the soviet occupation in 1979, landmines were deployed to depopulate provinces of afghanistan, disrupt the agriculture, interrupt transportation, damage economic infrastructure, and to kill. This land witnessed many dynasties and invasions like hotak dynasty and mongol invasion. Such a device is typically detonated automatically by way of pressure when a target steps on it or drives over it, although other detonation mechanisms are also sometimes used. Afghanistan is among the countries most severely affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance uxo. Afghanistan is an islamic republic country bordered by pakistan in the southeast, iran from west and turkmenistan, uzbekistan and tajikistan in the north.
Statistics on the number of active landmines in the world are hard to verify. In a 1995 vvaf field survey, 18% of refugee families in pakistan said that mines were responsible for them leaving. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, posing an everpresent danger to civilians. The mine was planted by the taliban on a main road to inflict casualties on security forces, he said.
Land mines are currently used in large quantities mostly for this first purpose, thus their widespread use in the demilitarized zones dmzs of likely flashpoints such as cyprus, afghanistan and korea. Security forces defuse 20 landmines in afghanistan the. There are an estimated 100,000 landmines in afghanistan. The capital and the largest city of afghanistan is kabul. Land mines, laid by the khmer rouge, the heng samrin and hun sen regimes, the vietnamese, the kpnlf, and the sihanoukists litter the countryside. Some countries, such as afghanistan, angola, and cambodia, have approximately 10 million landmines each 2.
The west has to take a critical look at itself and examine the apparent double standards at work that allow it to attack iraq for possessing weapons of mass destruction but not north korea, whose leader shared saddam husseins megalomaniacal qualities. Organization for mine clearance and afghan rehabilitation. Afghanistan, india, iraq, myanmar, nigeria, pakistan, syria, ukraine and yemen. Landmine explosion kills seven children in afghanistan. Report according to landmine monitor 2017, the armed conflicts in afghanistan, libya, ukraine, and yemen contributed to the second year of exceptionally high casualties caused by mines, including improvised devices that are triggered like mines, and other explosive remnants of war. Unknown to her, there was a landmine that was planted in the field she was cutting across. Approximately 120 million landmines are buried in 71 countries throughout the world, and 25 million new landmines are planted each year. The landmines and improvised explosive devices ieds were planted. The armed conflict in afghanistan could precipitate the planting of new landmines by the taliban, the united front, and the u. Afghanistan has more landmines than most countries in the world with approximately 656 square kilometres of land contaminated by potentially deadly mines and unexploded ordinance. In most cases, even the soldiers who planted the mines did not record where they were placed.
In libya 27% of the total arable land is unusable due to mines left behind from world war two, over 50 years ago. Russia helped settle that internal conflict and supplied peacekeepers, who also manned the afghan border to try and keep the afghan heroin and hashish out. At least 30,000 afghans civilians have been injured or killed by mines or other explosives since 1989, when mine clearing began after the soviet. Landmine kills nine children in afghanistan daily nation.
Discover the best afghan war military history in best sellers. The taliban did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Land mines and their antecedents have been used on the battlefield from ancient. The insurgents often use roadside bombs and landmines to target afghan security forces, but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians. Best nonfiction war books, around the world one book from each country, best iraq and afghanistan war books, best books on special forces m. Referring results of land clearance to be registered in the property and tax books for the. Landmines and land rights in afghanistan global protection cluster. Many are left over from the soviet occupation of the country from 1979 to 1989. Afghanistans health crisis afghanistan year 80 pov. One hundred million landmines are found in 64 countries, most of them in developing world with an estimated 10,000,000 landmines in afghanistan.
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