08/10 /2023 Etiopia (Ethiopia)
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law and/or enforcement agency for assistance”.
“It’s an absolute tragedy for someone to be killed or to lose a limb due to the detonation of unexploded weapons, even more so after the end of a conflict,” said Vasanth Kanags, the ICRC’s weapon contamination specialist in the region. “It’s urgent that we inform communities of this danger, especially children who naturally want to play with new, interesting-looking objects.” The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) have increased efforts to assist victims of explosive remnants of war and to keep people safe from this deadly legacy of the conflict, particularly in remote areas, by promoting safer behaviour and engaging authorities in the marking and clearing of contaminated areas. Among those most at risk are children playing and farmers returning to their land located in former battlefields. “My husband was killed by an object that my son brought home. He was trying to collect it from the boy when it exploded, killing him, and injuring our three children,” explained Beyenesh Mesfin, who survived the blast in front of her house in Tabya Fithi, in Seyemti Adyabo Woreda, Tigray, on 21 August. She received medical treatment at Adi Daero Primary Hospital and cash assistance from the ICRC to cover some of the needs related to the accident. Beyenesh’s 7-year-old son who brought the unexploded ordnance home explained that he had picked up the object from a grave, believing it to be a toy, while playing with his friends and siblings. They didn’t know it was a dangerous weapon. At the Adi Daero Primary Hospital where Beyenesh was treated, doctors said neighbours brought her to the facility on an improvised local stretcher in a very critical state. The hospital is one of many in Tigray which receives support from the ICRC to treat the wounded and patients with other life-threatening medical conditions.
Biography of a Bomb
Dear editors, Biography of a bomb is aimed at highlighting the danger caused by unexploded bombs. Moreover, the most important aspect is that we work completely non profit, raising awerness about this topic is what drives us. We apologize if we make use of pictures in yours articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We will (and we always do) cite source and author of the picture. We thank you for your comprehension
