Cluster bombs are deadly, indiscriminate weapons
Cluster bombs are made up of a single canister containing between a dozen and a few hundred submunitions the size of a drink can. They cause widespread destruction, scattering hundreds of submunitions over a large area as big as several football pitches.
© Handicap International
When the bomblets explode they blast out hundreds of metal fragments, indiscriminately killing or severely injuring anyone in the area. As so many of the bomblets fail to work properly, huge quantities are left on the ground, remaining a deadly threat to anyone in the area long after a conflict ends.
People accidentally set off cluster bombs when clearing land for agricultural use and children are often victims, because they are attracted by the interesting shape and colour of the bomblets. They can also have a devastating effect on development in the poorest regions of the world, as large areas of arable land are contaminated and therefore not usable. Communities are affected as victims suffer great psychological damage and families are burdened with additional care and medical costs.
They are a worldwide problem
Cluster bombs have been used extensively in countries around the world, including Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, Iraq, Chechnya, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Georgia.
There are now millions of unexploded submunitions scattered across large areas of land in some of the poorest countries in the world. Despite clear evidence of humanitarian harm, many governments are still reluctant to give up these weapons.
Key facts on cluster bombs
- 98% of recorded casualties are civilians.
- 27% of casualties are children.
- 67% casualties are killed or injured in course of earning their livelihood.
- 24 countries and regions are affected by cluster munitions worldwide.
- 5% to 30% of cluster bombs fail to explode on impact.
- 34 countries produce at least 210 different types of cluster bombs and 73 countries stockpile cluster bombs.
- The UK used to stockpile and export cluster bombs and used them during the war in Iraq. It has now signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions and is destroying its stockpile. > Learn more about what the UK is doing
Cluster bombs are banned, but there is still work to do
- © Handicap International
The Convention on Cluster Munitions came into force in August 2010, banning the use of cluster munitions, as well as their production, stockpiling and transfer to other countries. So far, 108 States have signed the treaty and 54 have become full members.
This is a huge step forward. But many States are still using, producing and stockpiling these weapons. And we need to make sure that the countries that signed the Convention live up to their promises - survivors need support to recover from their injuries and rebuild their lives; land needs to be cleared so that communities can live without fear.
Help us make sure that the threat from cluster bombs is removed for good and the survivors get the support they deserve to rebuild their lives.
> Take up the Forgotten 10 challenge
> Write a letter to your local newspaper
