Land mine contamination in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Landmine warning sign in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Land mine contamination in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a serious after effect of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina which raged from 1992 until 1995. All combatants laid land mines during the war and as a result Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the most severe land mine problems in the world.

Land mine situation

Landmine situation in BiH as of September 2008
Demining

Bosnia and Herzegovina's contamination with land mines stems exclusively from the 1992–95 war in the country. By 1996, some two million land mines and unexploded munitions littered Bosnia. By September 2013 land mines and unexploded munitions remained scattered in 28,699 locations. A total of 1.230,70 km² (2,4% of the country's territory) is mined.[1] Extensive landslides and the worst flooding since the 19th century, in May 2014, unearthed landmines prompting authorities to send in de-mining workers to locate and deactivate mines that were threatening residential areas.[2]

Land mine clearing is done by various government agencies and NGO's as well as some NATO military units. Bosnia and Herzegovina's strategic vision is to clear all land mines by the year 2019.

Land mine casualties

From 1992 through 2008 5,005 people were killed or injured by land mines or unexploded munitions. War time casualties stood at 3,339 killed and injured. Peacetime casualties, from 1996 through 2008 number 1,666 of which 486 persons were fatalities.

Land mine casualties in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996-2011
Year Killed Injured Total
1996 110 552 662
1997 88 202 290
1998 60 80 149
1999 38 57 95
2000 35 65 100
2001 32 55 87
2002 26 46 72
2003 23 31 54
2004 16 27 43
2005 10 9 19
2006 18 17 35
2007 8 22 30
2008 19 20 39
2009 9 19 28
2010 6 8 14
2011[3] 9 13 22
Totals 507 1,223 1,739

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Landmines in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

References

  1. July 2014 "Bosnia and Herzegovina mine situation September 2013" Check |url= value (help). BH MAC.
  2. "Landmines unearthed by shifting mud in flooded Balkans". Big News Network. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  3. "Casualties Overview". The Monitor. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
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