DanChurchAid
Humanitarian Mine Action
Spot the odd one out!
Each of these items has design flaws that could be fatal to children. Three have been recalled from the market. One hasn’t – the cluster bomb.
In scores of conflicts over the past 60 years, cluster bombs have failed to function as intended, leaving behind millions of unexploded bomblets that may explode when accidentally disturbed.
All too often, it’s a child’s curious hand that sets off these deadly bomblets. Children are especially at risk of being maimed or killed by these bomblets as they are easily attracted by their toy-like size and shape.
In Kosovo and Cambodia for example the majority of casualties have been children rather than adults.
Despite this, there are no specific international restrictions on the use, production and trade of cluster bombs.
More than 70 countries have cluster bombs containing several billion unreliable bomblets. If their proliferation and use continues, the result will be tens of millions of unexploded bomblets and a humanitarian crisis even worse than the plague caused by landmines.
We urge politicians and governments in all countries to freeze the use and trade of cluster bombs and negotiate an international prohibition on cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians.
On 5 November campaigners in 40 countries around the world are calling on their government to attend the Vienna Conference on Cluster Munitions in one month’s time from 5 – 7 December and to support a global treaty banning cluster bombs.
The "Spot the Odd One Out" advert campaign which launches an unprecedented joint appeal by UNDP , OCHA , Unicef , CMC , the UK-based Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund in support of the ban treaty will be placed in a leading international Danish newspaper. The advert includes a message by DanChurchAid and the Danish Red Cross. Contact: Eva Veble, DanChurchAid, +45 3315 2800
More about cluster bombs: What are cluster bombs? And why are they a problem?
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