Collateral damage: Children caught in the unexploded ordnance crisis

Children accounted for one-third of all recorded casualties from landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) globally in 2023. That is 2,130 children and their families around the world whose lives are forever altered by death and serious injuries. No family should have to worry that their child’s walk to school or football game with friends will end in tragedy, and the children facing these risks need better protection from these deadly weapons. 

The above figures come from the annual Landmine Monitor report released by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) this month. Myanmar topped the list of countries with the highest number of landmine and UXO victims, with 1,003 recorded civilian deaths and injuries being reported. In the first six months of 2024, there were already 692 recorded victims. Actual numbers are likely higher than this.

For those of us working in Asia, this comes as no surprise. As the conflict between government and opposition forces continues to spread and intensify across Myanmar following the 2021 escalation of violence, so too does the indiscriminate use of landmines, cluster munitions and other explosives. To give an idea of the widespread scale of this crisis, casualties were recorded across all regions of the country. 

As World Vision’s regional security director in East Asia, I work closely with our team in Myanmar, tracking the rapidly changing conflict and the devastating impact the use of these weapons has on the communities we work with. Areas that were once safe are now increasingly dangerous. Displaced civilians return home to find explosives in their homes, land, schools and places of worship, making it impossible for them to return to their normal lives. 

Due to their natural curiosity, children are particularly vulnerable to these weapons which they often mistake for toys on the ground. In a town in Myanmar’s southern Tanintharyi Division, a six-year-old boy suffered extensive blood loss when he was wounded by shrapnel from an explosive device. In northern Shan state, two children aged seven and nine, and their parents, were wounded when one of the children picked up a grenade they found on the ground. Stories like this are unfortunately becoming more common in Myanmar and no doubt many more go unreported. 

The impact of landmines and UXO spreads far beyond the recorded statistics. For families, it can mean the loss of a loved one, a loss of income and a lifetime of medical needs. When agricultural land is targeted by these weapons, as it often is, it can mean the loss of livelihoods and increased food insecurity for entire communities for decades to come. We need only look to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam for examples of this. 

In Laos, the most bombed country in the world, more than 60 per cent of the recorded victims of UXO in the first ten months of this year were children. This is despite the last cluster bomb being dropped on Laos more than 50 years ago. Widespread UXO contamination limits access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities and prevents long-term development. These challenges are further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change in the region. Flooding and landslides can shift the ground and areas cleared of UXO become contaminated once again. 

World Vision has not let the presence of landmines and UXO stop us from our mission to reach the most vulnerable children here in East Asia, but it certainly makes doing that job much more challenging. Our security teams work tirelessly to ensure the right training and safety measures are in place for staff working with communities in areas affected by these weapons. 

World Vision also promotes UXO awareness and education for children, teaching them to identify and report unexploded ordnance. By training local volunteers, we are able to reach more children and reduce the number of casualties in our program areas. I am in awe of the courage and dedication of my colleagues and it is a privilege to work alongside them. 

Children today are paying the price for decisions made long before they were born. The continued deployment of these weapons perpetuates a dangerous cycle that must be broken. Global leaders and parties to conflicts must prioritise the safety and well-being of children and ensure a future free from the threat of landmines and UXO.  Children should not have to know how to identify and avoid landmines, but such awareness is lifesaving and we must work to ensure all children in areas affected by UXO are equipped with the knowledge they need to save their lives until all UXO is cleared.

Eimear Hennessy is World Vision’s Regional Security Director in East Asia and supports the country teams across the region to effectively manage the safety and security challenges they encounter during the course of their work.