Landmines: Support Victims Assistance Legislation
Landmines: Support Victims Assistance Legislation
The following action alert is from the Washington Office on Africa:
www.woaafrica.org; woa@igc.org
ccording to the International Committee of the Red Cross, there are tens of millions of landmines in over 60 countries around the world, and it has estimated that as many as 24,000 people are maimed or killed each year by landmines, mostly civilians, resulting in amputations and disabilities of various kinds. While the United States Government invests more than $100,000,000 in mine action programs annually, including funding for mine awareness and demining training programs, only about ten percent of these funds go directly to aid landmine victims.
The International Disabilities and Victims of Civil Strife and Warfare Assistance Act [S 742 and HR 1462], if passed, will help thousands of landmine survivors worldwide with medical and rehabilitative care. It will support policy reform and educational efforts, support the establishment of organizations to coordinate programs, projects, and activities, and support primary, secondary, and vocational education, public awareness and training programs and to help prevent war-related injuries and assist individuals with disabilities.
Discerning our actions
In the past we have given priority to efforts to pressure the US government to sign and ratify the Mine Ban Treaty, and that of course remains critical. In the meantime, however, landmine victims need assistance. Every 22 minutes another person will step on a landmine, and more than 10,000 women and children are maimed or killed by landmines each year.
