The 2010 Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor said Colombia must focus more on helping civilian victims of landmines.
The report, released by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, provides an overview of landmine policy and victim assistance. Publication editor Kathleen Maes said many victims are military personnel, but there is also a large amount of civilians affected. In 2009, 34% of the victims were civilians, with 21% of those being children.
“The military personnel that are victims of landmines are well cared for,” Maes said. “You can’t say the same with respect to civilian victims,that don’t receive the treatment they should.”
She added that the number of overall victims in Colombia has gone down, with 674 victims in 2009. Of those, 117 died and 557 were injured. This marks a 13% decrease from 2008. Many victims live in rural areas, and come in contact with mines by chance.
The report noted that the FARC, ELN, and paramilitary groups in Colombia all use landmines.
