FAQ
 
I. What is a landmine?
II. What are the types of landmine ?
III. What is a booby-trap ?
IV. What is an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)?
V. What do landmines do and what are their effects?
VI. Do landmines exist in Lebanon, and if so, how many still exist?
VII. Where do most of the landmines exist in Lebanon?
VIII. How many landmine victims are there in Lebanon?
IX. What are the rehabilitation services for landmine survivors supported by WRF Lebanon?
X. Can landmines be cleared and are demining efforts underway in Lebanon?
XI. What are the quantitative costs of landmines?
XII. Are landmines still being manufactured and sold?
XIII. How do I avoid the danger of landmines?
XVI. How can I help?



I. What is a landmine?
Landmines are explosive devices that are designed to explode by the presence, proximity, or contact of a person or vehicle. These munitions are placed under, on, or near the ground or other surface area that is designed to explode once triggered by direct pressure, tripwire, tilt roads, command detonation, or by some combination of these methods.
 

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II. What are the types of landmine ?
Mines are explosives designed to destroy or damage vehicles, boats, or aircrafts, or designed to wound, kill, or incapacitate personnel. Mines come in a variety of models; however, they can all be grouped into two broad categories:

1. Anti-Personnel (AP) mines: are mines primarily designed to injure or kill one or more persons when they are stepped on or when a tripwire is disturbed. AP can be located under ground, on the ground surface, or fixed above ground level.

2. Anti-Tank (AT) mines: are very similar to AP mines, but are much larger. AT are primarily designed to disable or destroy vehicles, including tanks. Like AP, AT can be exploded by pressure or remote control, as well as by magnetic influence or through the disturbance of a tilt rod. Most AT mines require an applied pressure of more than 135 kg to explode (Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook- United Nations, 1999).

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III. What is a booby-trap ?
A “booby-trap” can be any device or material which is designed to injure or kill. Booby-traps function unexpectedly when a person or vehicle approaches or disturbs an apparently harmless object, or perform an apparently safe act. “Almost any object can be made into an innocent-looking booby trap, such as a packet of cigarettes a watch, or a toy” (Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook- United Nations, 1999).

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IV. What is an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)?
“Unexploded ordnance” (UXO) are explosive munitions which have not yet been set off. UXO can function almost exactly as landmines, exploding when stepped on, moved, or touched. UXO include grenades, rockets, mortars, artillery shells, bombs, cluster munitions, and fuses, which may already have been fired, dropped, or launched, but have failed to detonate as intended (Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook- United Nations, 1999).

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V. What do landmines do and what are their effects?
Landmines kill or maim people. They cause enormous pain (a majority of landmine victims suffer from amputation and other disabilities) and yield lingering economic and social costs. In addition to the expense of medical treatment and the cost to families for caring for their injured relatives, they also hinder the flow of goods and people, and put large areas of agricultural land out of production.

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VI. Do landmines exist in Lebanon, and if so, how many still exist?
The estimated total number of uncleared mine fields in Lebanon is 2,750 with approximately a total of 550,000 landmines, affecting almost all geographical areas. In the Southern areas of Lebanon alone, 1,870 uncleared minefields still exist with approximately 440,000 mines. (Source: National Demining Office, Lebanon, 2002)
 

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VII. Where do most of the landmines exist in Lebanon?
Landmines are “horrific weapons of mass murder” that continue to be functional for many decades, causing further damage, injury, and death. To the day, landmines have claimed 2,796 victims in Lebanon, 1677 of which are survivors and 1119 deceased (Source: Landmines Resource Center (LMRC) at the University of Balamand, June 2003).

Moreover, the extensive presence of landmine in the Lebanese territories has left vast areas of land lying idle, preventing their owners from economically exploiting it. As such, in addition to the landmine victims, thousands of persons are indirectly affected by the presence of landmines.
 

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VIII. How many landmine victims are there in Lebanon?
Landmines have claimed 2,772 victims in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and thousands more through their socio-economic effects. (Source: Landmines Resource Center (LMRC), University of Balamand, June 2002)
 

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IX. What are the rehabilitation services for landmine survivors supported by WRF Lebanon?
Landmine survivors are being provided rehabilitation services by NGOs and CBOs in Lebanon. Many of them are supported by WRF Lebanon through its various programs. Among WRF’s programs are general landmines awareness programs, Prosthetics and Orthotics Programs, small enterprises and agri-business income generating activities, and others. WRF, in collaboration with concerned parties, continues its awareness and training campaigns across Lebanon, with the distribution of printed matter. WRF works with counterparts to continue to aid landmine survivors to reintegrate effectively into the communities.
  

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X. Can landmines be cleared and are demining efforts underway in Lebanon?
Landmines can be cleared, but only laboriously, dangerously and at enormous expense. Trained workers have to probe the soil of the infected areas, inch by inch. One person can clear only 20 to 50 square meters per day. Demining activities are underway in Lebanon under the direction of the National Demining Office (Lebanese Army).
  

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XI. What are the quantitative costs of landmines?
It costs approximately from three to thirty USD to buy a landmine and from 300 to 1,000 USD to remove one. Large sums of money are needed for direct medical and rehabilitation care for landmine survivors, and for mine clearance.
  

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XII. Are landmines still being manufactured and sold?
Unfortunately, dozens of international companies still manufacture and sell landmines.

XIII. How do I avoid the danger of landmines?
To avoid the dangers of landmines keep in mind the following:
- Know about landmine Warning Signs.
- Watch Out! Some mine infested areas are not marked by warning signs! Watch for other mine warning clues such as: injured or deceased animals, parts of mines, etc.
- Keep away from mine “infested” and “suspected” areas.
- Do Not touch unexploded ordnance (UXO).
- Ask about the safe roads in dangerous or suspected areas.
 

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XIV. How can I help?
Get Involved

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