Landmine situation in Nagorno Karabakh
Encyclopedia
The region of Nagorno-Karabakh
is considered to be one of the most heavily mined regions of the former Soviet Union
. Mines were laid from 1991-1994 by both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh War
.
The United Nations
and the U.S.
had estimated the number of mines in Nagorno-Karabakh at 100,000, but after its 1998 assessment mission, the UN Mine Action Service concluded that the mine problem was not nearly as bad as original estimates portrayed.
Nagorno-Karabakh
has stated that it has never produced or exported mines, and has not purchased new mines since 1995; its mine stockpile consists of mines left over from the former Soviet Union
(PMN
, PMN-2, POMZ-2
, OZM-72, TM-57
and TM-62 mines). There were no official reports of new mine use in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2004 or the first half of 2005.
Since the cease-fire in 1994 to the end of 2004, 326 mine/UXO casualties were reported, including at least 77 people injured since 2000.
An estimated 69,000 residents in 60 villages in Armenia are afflicted by the problem.
In 2004, thirty-four new mine/UXO casualties, including ten people killed and twenty-four injured, were reported in twenty-five incidents; another nine people were involved in the incidents but did not suffer physical injuries.[25] At least three of the casualties were children. This represents a further significant increase from the twenty-one new mine/UXO casualties recorded in 2003. Of the twenty-five incidents in 2004, fourteen were caused by antivehicle mines, seven by antipersonnel mines and four by UXO. In 2004, one deminer was injured during mine clearance operations. http://www.icbl.org/lm/2004/nagorno-karabakh.html#fn9466
In 2005, one person was killed and three people were injured in five mine/UXO incidents to June; one other person did not suffer physical injuries.
There is no information on the number of mines laid along the current border-line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan
, but it is common knowledge that mines were being laid by both sides along the border during several years after the end of the conflict. It is estimated that far greater mine clearance capacities will be required when the peace agreement is signed between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Karabakhi Army
has an engineering battalion that is involved in the clearance of minefields of strategic importance.
The HALO Trust
- UK based demining NGO, is the only other organisation conducting demining
in Nagorno Karabakh. In 1995 and 1996 HALO conducted an 18-month long programme in Karabakh that established a mine clearance capacity for the local authorities. This included a survey of the region and the equipping and training of deminers. The teams operated without assistance for three years and whilst they successfully cleared hundreds of mines, their equipment had degraded and accurate records of clearance had not been kept for some time.
HALO resumed mine clearance in Karabakh in 2000 with a view to reinforcing capacity through a project of re-equipment, providing additional training and by establishing a mine action centre (MAC). The MAC collates information concerning mines, UXO and safe routes, and disseminates it to all who require it, in particular other NGOs and international humanitarian bodies operating in Karabakh. http://www.halotrust.org/nagornokarabakh.html Mine clearance in Karabakh by the HALO Trust continues to the present day. According to the Landmine Monitor, in 2004 the HALO Trust cleared 3.6 square kilometers of affected land through manual and mechanical demining, and a further 450,000 square meters in 2005 through April. It concentrated clearance on farmland, and re-focused mine risk education on adults, in view of mine casualties rising as agricultural production increased. By the end of 2004, ICRC had provided safe play areas for children in 27 villages.
From 2000 to 2003, HALO cleared 2,691,097 square meters of affected land manually, cleared 45,414,190 square meters by battle area clearance, surveyed 7,767,500 square meters, and destroyed 2,167 antipersonnel mines, 977 anti-vehicle mines and 8,710 items of UXO.
In 2004, HALO cleared 3,580,289 square meters of affected land through manual and mechanical demining, destroying in the process 675 antipersonnel mines, 340 anti vehicle mines, 2,040 UXO, 2,352 items of stray ammunition and a large quantity of small arms ammunition.[12 ] Types of land cleared were primarily agricultural (1,519,953 square meters), access routes (1,003,537 square meters), major infrastructure (139,415 square meters), community infrastructure (33,900 square meters) and other (883,484 square meters). This represents an increase on 2003, when HALO cleared 2,302,761 square meters.
As of 2011, most of the money to pay for HALO's Karabakh project came from the United States government.
In 2004, the Engineering Service of the Army and the Department of Emergency Situations destroyed 48 antipersonnel landmines, 37 anti-vehicle land mines, 447 UXO and 5,141 items of small caliber explosive ordnance.
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
is considered to be one of the most heavily mined regions of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Mines were laid from 1991-1994 by both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
.
The United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had estimated the number of mines in Nagorno-Karabakh at 100,000, but after its 1998 assessment mission, the UN Mine Action Service concluded that the mine problem was not nearly as bad as original estimates portrayed.
Production, stockpiling and use
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
has stated that it has never produced or exported mines, and has not purchased new mines since 1995; its mine stockpile consists of mines left over from the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(PMN
PMN mine
The PMN series of blast anti-personnel mines were designed and manufactured in Russia. They are one of the most widely used and commonly found devices during demining operations.-PMN-1:...
, PMN-2, POMZ-2
POMZ
The POMZ, POMZ-2 and POMZ-2M are three types of Russian-made stake mounted anti-personnel fragmentation mine. The POMZ mine was used during the Second World War. It was superseded by the POMZ-2, and later by the improved POMZ-2M...
, OZM-72, TM-57
TM-57 mine
right|thumb|A TM-57 with a tilt-rod [[Fuze#Munition_fuzes|fuze]]The TM-57 mine is a large circular Russian metal cased blast anti-tank mine. It can either be triggered by a pressure or a tilt-rod fuze...
and TM-62 mines). There were no official reports of new mine use in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2004 or the first half of 2005.
Victims
It is impossible to give the exact number of people injured or killed in Nagorno Karabakh on landmines because of lack of any records during the war itself, as well as no complete information available up until 2000. According to the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Health, between June 1993 and May 1999 the number of victims of explosions, including landmines, was 687 (180 killed and 507 injured). http://www.icbl.org/lm/2005/nagorno_karabakh.html#fn31Since the cease-fire in 1994 to the end of 2004, 326 mine/UXO casualties were reported, including at least 77 people injured since 2000.
An estimated 69,000 residents in 60 villages in Armenia are afflicted by the problem.
ICBL perspective
According to Landmine Monitor in 2003, twenty-one new mine and UXO casualties were recorded in Nagorno-Karabakh, including nine people killed and twelve people injured.[17] Casualties increased significantly in the first six months of 2004, with thirty new mine/UXO casualties recorded; eleven people were killed and nineteen injured, including three children. New landmine and UXO casualties had been decreasing since the ceasefire in 1994. In 1995, there were eighty-six casualties, sixty-four in 1996, twenty-five in 1997, sixteen in 1998, and thirty in 1999.[19] There were fourteen casualties (five killed and nine injured) in 2000, nineteen casualties (four killed and fifteen injured) in 2001, and seventeen casualties (all injured) in 2002. According to HALO, the increasing casualty numbers are the result of record harvests produced in recent years and a greater investment in agriculture. As farmers try to increase their agricultural boundaries, more suspected mined areas are being ploughed—despite advice from HALO and the government, and the presence of danger mine signs. Most incidents involve antivehicle mines. The number of annual incidents per capita in Nagorno-Karabakh is far higher than other heavily mine-affected countries such as Cambodia or Afghanistan. The thirty new casualties in 2004 represent 2.5 people for every 10,000 inhabitants.In 2004, thirty-four new mine/UXO casualties, including ten people killed and twenty-four injured, were reported in twenty-five incidents; another nine people were involved in the incidents but did not suffer physical injuries.[25] At least three of the casualties were children. This represents a further significant increase from the twenty-one new mine/UXO casualties recorded in 2003. Of the twenty-five incidents in 2004, fourteen were caused by antivehicle mines, seven by antipersonnel mines and four by UXO. In 2004, one deminer was injured during mine clearance operations. http://www.icbl.org/lm/2004/nagorno-karabakh.html#fn9466
In 2005, one person was killed and three people were injured in five mine/UXO incidents to June; one other person did not suffer physical injuries.
UN perspective
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says 123 people have been killed and over 300 injured by landmines near the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh since a 1994 truce ended a six-year conflict between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/12/2ddee253-7702-4739-adf4-69437770a55c.htmlSurvey
The HALO Trust is the only agency that conducts minefield survey, mapping and marking of Nagorno-Karabakh. Since 2000, HALO has surveyed more than 10 square kilometers of land, and this survey was ongoing in 2005.[16] HALO reports that it marks all the suspect areas it surveys with “Danger Mines!” signs. Post-clearance survey is carried out on a case study basis on some sites, as most areas are handed over and used almost immediately after they have been cleared.There is no information on the number of mines laid along the current border-line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, but it is common knowledge that mines were being laid by both sides along the border during several years after the end of the conflict. It is estimated that far greater mine clearance capacities will be required when the peace agreement is signed between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Clearance
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army is the formal defense force of the unrecognized but de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
has an engineering battalion that is involved in the clearance of minefields of strategic importance.
The HALO Trust
HALO Trust
The HALO Trust is a non-political, non-religious registered British charity and American non-profit organization whose purpose is to remove the debris left behind by war, in particular, landmines and unexploded ordnance that might present a danger to civilians. Founded in 1988 it was the first...
- UK based demining NGO, is the only other organisation conducting demining
Demining
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area, while minesweeping describes the act of detecting of mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.Minesweepers use many tools in order to accomplish...
in Nagorno Karabakh. In 1995 and 1996 HALO conducted an 18-month long programme in Karabakh that established a mine clearance capacity for the local authorities. This included a survey of the region and the equipping and training of deminers. The teams operated without assistance for three years and whilst they successfully cleared hundreds of mines, their equipment had degraded and accurate records of clearance had not been kept for some time.
HALO resumed mine clearance in Karabakh in 2000 with a view to reinforcing capacity through a project of re-equipment, providing additional training and by establishing a mine action centre (MAC). The MAC collates information concerning mines, UXO and safe routes, and disseminates it to all who require it, in particular other NGOs and international humanitarian bodies operating in Karabakh. http://www.halotrust.org/nagornokarabakh.html Mine clearance in Karabakh by the HALO Trust continues to the present day. According to the Landmine Monitor, in 2004 the HALO Trust cleared 3.6 square kilometers of affected land through manual and mechanical demining, and a further 450,000 square meters in 2005 through April. It concentrated clearance on farmland, and re-focused mine risk education on adults, in view of mine casualties rising as agricultural production increased. By the end of 2004, ICRC had provided safe play areas for children in 27 villages.
From 2000 to 2003, HALO cleared 2,691,097 square meters of affected land manually, cleared 45,414,190 square meters by battle area clearance, surveyed 7,767,500 square meters, and destroyed 2,167 antipersonnel mines, 977 anti-vehicle mines and 8,710 items of UXO.
In 2004, HALO cleared 3,580,289 square meters of affected land through manual and mechanical demining, destroying in the process 675 antipersonnel mines, 340 anti vehicle mines, 2,040 UXO, 2,352 items of stray ammunition and a large quantity of small arms ammunition.[12 ] Types of land cleared were primarily agricultural (1,519,953 square meters), access routes (1,003,537 square meters), major infrastructure (139,415 square meters), community infrastructure (33,900 square meters) and other (883,484 square meters). This represents an increase on 2003, when HALO cleared 2,302,761 square meters.
As of 2011, most of the money to pay for HALO's Karabakh project came from the United States government.
In 2004, the Engineering Service of the Army and the Department of Emergency Situations destroyed 48 antipersonnel landmines, 37 anti-vehicle land mines, 447 UXO and 5,141 items of small caliber explosive ordnance.
Unexploded ordnance (UXO)
In addition to landmines, unexploded ordnance is as great a problem in Nagorno Karabakh. It is estimated that more people (especially children) have accidents from UXO than mines.External links
- A 2005 report on the status of undetonated land mines in Nagorno-Karabakh compiled by the International Campaign to Ban LandminesInternational Campaign to Ban LandminesThe International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.The coalition was formed in...
- UN: More Than 100 Killed By Mines Near Nagorno-Karabakh by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in a December 2005 report.
- The HALO Trust - The biggest demining NGO